Giordano addressed the local media on Tuesday, a day before he was scheduled to undergo season-ending surgery to repair a torn left biceps tendon.

The NHL’s top-scoring defenceman says many different players have contributed to Calgary’s success this season and their efforts can get the Flames to the post-season. Calgary enters Tuesday night’s game at Philadelphia in a three-way tie for third place in the Pacific Division standings.

Giordano was injured in last Wednesday’s road game against the New Jersey Devils. The star blue-liner went down awkwardly after getting twisted while attempting to shoot the puck down the ice.

Giordano has 48 points (11 goals, 37 assists) in 61 games this season.

He said doctors have told him his arm will take four months to heal.

The 31-year-old Toronto native expects to be ready for training camp next season.

]]>http://o.canada.com/sports/giordano-believes-flames-can-make-playoffs-without-him/feed0464514780thecanadianpressChrissie Hynde memoir coming in Septemberhttp://o.canada.com/entertainment/chrissie-hynde-memoir-coming-in-september
http://o.canada.com/entertainment/chrissie-hynde-memoir-coming-in-september#commentsTue, 03 Mar 2015 19:52:32 +0000https://postmediacanadadotcom.wordpress.com?p=595398&preview_id=595398]]>NEW YORK — Chrissie Hynde will tell the story of her life, with all its ups and downs.

Penguin Random House announced Tuesday that the Pretenders singer was working on an “an incredibly frank” memoir that will come out Sept. 8. The book is currently untitled.

According to Doubleday, Hynde will write about her childhood in Akron, Ohio, offer a “strikingly intimate portrayal” of the punk rock scene of the 1970s and a “bittersweet” look back at the Pretenders, who had such hits as “Brass in Pocket” and “Talk of the Town,” but lost two original band members to drug-related deaths. Hynde, 63, said in a statement issued through her publisher that she hoped her book would make people dance, have fun, possibly cry and maybe reach for a guitar.

]]>http://o.canada.com/entertainment/chrissie-hynde-memoir-coming-in-september/feed0Books-Chrissie-Hynde.jpgtheassociatedpresscanadaJustin Bieber begging fellow Canuck Seth Rogen to roast him at upcoming specialhttp://o.canada.com/entertainment/justin-bieber-begging-fellow-canuck-seth-rogen-to-roast-him-at-upcoming-special
http://o.canada.com/entertainment/justin-bieber-begging-fellow-canuck-seth-rogen-to-roast-him-at-upcoming-special#commentsTue, 03 Mar 2015 19:18:31 +0000https://postmediacanadadotcom.wordpress.com?p=595370&preview_id=595370]]>TORONTO — With his celebrity roast approaching, Justin Bieber has turned up the heat on one of his preferred roasters: fellow Canadian Seth Rogen.

In a series of tweets, Bieber pleaded with the “Pineapple Express” star to participate in “The Roast of Justin Bieber,” which airs March 30 on the Comedy Network.

Bieber, who just turned 21, asked Rogen to check his voicemail and created the hashtag “#WeWantSeth.”

Bieber and Rogen have history, dating back to January 2014 when Rogen declared on Twitter that Bieber was a piece of excrement.

Bieber signed the missive by referencing Rogen’s off-colour slur, followed by a winking emoticon.

Kevin Hart will host the Comedy Central roast, which has already confirmed appearances from comedians Hannibal Buress and Jeff Ross.

17:00ET 02-03-15

]]>http://o.canada.com/entertainment/justin-bieber-begging-fellow-canuck-seth-rogen-to-roast-him-at-upcoming-special/feed0TV-Justin Bieber RoastthecanadianpressSeth RogenCBS and Judge Judy extend deal through 2020http://o.canada.com/entertainment/cbs-and-judge-judy-extend-deal-through-2020
http://o.canada.com/entertainment/cbs-and-judge-judy-extend-deal-through-2020#commentsTue, 03 Mar 2015 19:15:38 +0000https://postmediacanadadotcom.wordpress.com?p=595379&preview_id=595379]]>NEW YORK — Daytime television’s most popular personality, “Judge Judy” Sheindlin, has extended her contract for three years and will keep her court in session into 2020.

CBS Television Distribution didn’t discuss terms of the deal on Monday. TV Guide has reported her current salary at $47 million a year — making her by far the highest-paid personality on television. Sheindlin is 72.

The new deal also gives CBS first look at any projects by Sheindlin’s production company, which makes the new court show “Hot Bench.”

“Judge Judy” is now in its 19th season. It averages more than 10 million viewers an episode, tops in daytime television for the past five years.

WASHINGTON — A new performance series curated by leading artists will help define a new programming slate at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts under its new president, along with festivals celebrating Ireland and something unexpected: skateboarding culture.

Jazz pianist Jason Moran, dancer Damian Woetzel, mandolinist Chris Thile from the bands Punch Brothers and Nickel Creek and composer Mason Bates will be the first artists crafting programs that cross traditional artistic genres, said Kennedy Center President Deborah Rutter in announcing plans Tuesday. To open the centre’s new season in September, Moran will break out of his traditional jazz role to lead a festival on skateboarding, music and media — complete with an outdoor skateboarding ramp.

The new artist-led series is one of a few changes Rutter is making to the centre’s presentation as she seeks to have artists engage more directly with audiences.

“I want to put the artists more centrally in the discussion about what we do, why we do it, how we do it and how it reflects our society,” Rutter said. “If we only ever do what is expected of us … if we give art to you, as opposed to having a dynamic relationship, we’re never going to advance art. That’s what artists will tell you.”

FILE – In this June 9, 2012 file photo, Chris Thile performs during the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival in Manchester, Tenn. [AP Photo/Dave Martin, File]

The 2015-16 season includes more than 2,000 performances in music, theatre and dance — making the centre one of the nation’s busiest performing arts venues. An international festival celebrating Irish arts and culture in 2016 will mark the centennial of Ireland’s move toward independence, dating back to the Easter Rising in 1916. Organizers noted President John F. Kennedy, for whom the centre is a memorial, was the first Irish-American president.

The programming slate totals more than $125 million of the centre’s nearly $200 million budget, said spokeswoman Amanda Hunter. That represents a slight increase in spending due to major commitments for a European tour of the affiliated National Symphony Orchestra and the first-ever Washington National Opera production of Richard Wagner’s “Ring” cycle. Rutter said the four-opera cycle will be a “critical pinnacle of our season.”

The centre will also broaden its approach to classical music with two new series showcasing the National Symphony Orchestra. “Declassified: Fridaysâ†*9″ will offer a later start time, a mix of classic and modern music, and cocktails allowed in the concert hall. Pop star Ben Folds will open the series. The orchestra will also offer “Coffee Concerts” for audiences during daytime hours.

In theatre, the season does not include any major new theatre projects produced by the Kennedy Center, however, following last year’s revival of “Side Show” that moved to Broadway and the centre’s first new musical “Little Dancer.” Still, Rutter said it’s important to maintain the centre’s “important role in theatre” going forward, and she wants to take time to work with producers on future plans.

Six national touring shows booked for 2015 and 2016 include: “Beautiful: The Carole King Musical,” “Matilda the Musical,” “A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder,” “Kinky Boots,” “The Bridges of Madison County” and “The Phantom of the Opera.”

]]>http://o.canada.com/travel/kennedy-center-to-stage-artist-curated-series-festivals-celebrating-ireland-and-skateboarding/feed0Kennedy-Center-Season.jpgtheassociatedpresscanadaFILE - In this June 9, 2012 file photo, Chris Thile performs during the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival in Manchester, Tenn. The Kennedy Center in Washington is unveiling a new programming slate under its new president, including a performance series curated by leading artists and festivals celebrating Ireland and skateboarding culture. Kennedy Center President Deborah Rutter is announcing plans Tuesday. Under her signature series, jazz pianist Jason Moran, dancer Damian Woetzel, mandolinist Chris Thile and composer Mason Bates will be the first artists crafting programs across artistic genres. (AP Photo/Dave Martin, File)FILE - In this Aug. 4, 2012 file photo, Jason Moran performs at the Newport Jazz Festival in Newport, R.I. The Kennedy Center in Washington is unveiling a new programming slate under its new president, including a performance series curated by leading artists and festivals celebrating Ireland and skateboarding culture. Kennedy Center President Deborah Rutter is announcing plans Tuesday. Under her signature series, jazz pianist Jason Moran, dancer Damian Woetzel, mandolinist Chris Thile and composer Mason Bates will be the first artists crafting programs across artistic genres. (AP Photo/Joe Giblin, File)Underwood, Fisher welcome baby boyhttp://o.canada.com/sports/underwood-fisher-welcome-baby-boy
http://o.canada.com/sports/underwood-fisher-welcome-baby-boy#commentsTue, 03 Mar 2015 17:21:58 +0000https://postmediacanadadotcom.wordpress.com?p=595310&preview_id=595310]]>NEW YORK — Carrie Underwood is a new mom, and like all proud parents, she’s showing him off in a photo.

The multiplatinum country singer gave birth to Isaiah Michael Fisher on Friday, and on Tuesday, she announced it to the world on Twitter. She posted a picture of Isaiah, showing his tiny hand and a bit of his mouth.

Twitter screen capture.

He’s the first child for Underwood, 31, and her husband, Mike Fisher, who plays for the Nashville Predators.

BURHANPUR, India — It is no secret that the Taj Mahal is a monument of love, built by a Mogul emperor as the final resting place for his beloved queen who died giving birth to their 14th child in 1631.

What’s less known is that the white-marbled tomb was not her first resting place after death.

Queen Mumtaz Mahal in fact died some 900 kilometres (555 miles) away in central India’s Burhanpur town and was buried there, in a rose-tinted sandstone pavilion in her favourite deer park. The once opulent and richly decorated pavilion is now a sad, crumbling ruin, thanks to neglect and apathy by authorities and Burhanpur’s own 200,000 residents.

And it’s not the only gem in the treasure chest of this town, which even most Indians could not identify on a map.

Behind its dirty, unpaved streets and open garbage dumps, Burhanpur hides an abundance of magnificent Islamic monuments dating back to 15th century. Once an important trading and military outpost, Burhanpur slipped into margins of history in less than two centuries and is now nowhere to be found in any tourist advertisement.

On a recent trip, we found in Burhanpur the ruins of a riverside palace; airy pavilions with intricately carved pillars; grand stone mausoleums with latticed windows that throw filtered beams of dusty light on the graves inside; a royal bath house with cheerful paintings of birds and flowers; austere and imposing mosques with incredibly fine calligraphy, and a fort on a cliff with a mind-boggling view of the undulating plains below.

Each one of the town’s treasures is a reminder of India’s rich multicultural history and the contribution that about 800 years of Muslim rule made to the predominantly Hindu country’s heritage.

Many of the monuments in the town are in utter neglect. Infrastructure as basic as toilets and roads to the sites is missing. Open drains run along some important tombs, which are ravaged by overgrown shrubs. Mountains of garbage greet visitors.

“Every monument here tells a story. Every stone here says ‘come to me and listen to what I have to say’ but there is nobody to listen or to take care of them,” lamented Hoshang Havaldar, 60, who has lived all his life in Burhanpur, and runs one of only two decent hotels in the town.

Burhanpur was ruled by the founding Faruqi dynasty from 1400 to 1599 and by the fabled Moguls from 1600, when Emperor Akbar conquered it. His grandson, Emperor Shah Jahan, ran his military campaigns against southern kingdoms from Burhanpur, accompanied by his wife Mumtaz.

In this Jan. 19, 2015, photo, a parrot sits on top of the collapsed ceiling of a pavilion that was Queen Mumtaz Mahal’s first resting place after death in Burhanpur, India. [AP Photo/Vijay Joshi]

She died while giving birth to their 14th child and was buried in a pavilion facing a small palace in a deer park.

Today, the Ahukhana, as the park was called, and its two buildings are one of the most dilapidated among Burhanpur’s treasures.

The sprawling park is locked up with no caretaker. Its rusty metal gates are tied by a chain loose enough to leave enough space for humans or animals to slip through. The grounds are overgrown with shrubs and weeds. Wild goats and cows roam freely. All that remain of the one-story pavilion are pillars and walls, some art work on them still visible. Its ceiling is no more.

For about six months, Mumtaz’s body remained in the pavilion while Shah Jahan made plans to build the Taj Mahal on the banks of the nearby River Tapti.

But unfortunately Burhanpur’s geography, geology and hydrology conspired against his plans.

According to historians, Shah Jahan wanted the monument to be of white marble, which was only available in the faraway Makrana, making transportation difficult. River Tapti’s breadth was a little narrow where he envisaged the mausoleum — meaning it would not be reflected fully in the water on moonlit nights. Finally, the rock-bed just wasn’t right to hold up a building of that mass. As it turned out, Agra on the banks of majestically wide River Yamuna and not too far from Makrana, was the perfect choice.

Mumtaz’s body was disinterred and taken to Agra, then the imperial capital of the Mogul empire that ruled India from 15th to 19th centuries. And so Burhanpur faded away.

One of the most beautiful monuments in Burhanpur is the tomb of Bilquis Jahan, the wife of Shah Jahan’s son. It is known as the Kharboozi Gumbaz, or Melon Dome, because of its distinctive dome and bulging walls that look like the fruit. An unimposing structure, it nevertheless stands out because of its shape and stunning interior — every corner of its walls and roof is decorated with murals in floral pattern, its colours as fresh as they were centuries ago.

But to get there we had to walk through a graveyard, where a horse lay dying in a ditch while little boys played nearby.

Burhanpur, located in Madhya Pradesh state, was the reason for our trip, but not the destination. Our 10-day trip cut an arc through the vast state, stopping at four other places of Islamic and Hindu culture that carried in their stone monuments stories of love, valour, devotion and sex.

The last stop was the 10-11th century Khajuraho group of Hindu and Jain temples, a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Their distinctive steeple domes are made of interlocking blocks of finely carved stone, and the outer walls of temples dense with sculptures of Hindu gods and goddesses, scenes of court life, and a profusion of graphic erotic sculptures inspired by the Kama Sutra, depicting all kinds of sexual acts.

But we will save that story for another day.

—-

If You Go…

BURHANPUR: Located in Madhya Pradesh state, about 180 kilometres (110 miles) from Indore, the city with the nearest airport. The drive from Indore takes about four hours. Madhya Pradesh State Tourism runs a hotel, Tapti Retreat, for $30-$40 a night: http://www.mptourism.com/web/Burhanpur/Burhanpur.asp

09:14ET 25-02-15

]]>http://o.canada.com/travel/taj-mahal-endures-but-its-little-known-birthplace-crumbles-slowly/feed0Travel-Trip-India-Taj-Mahals-Secret.jpgtheassociatedpresscanadaThis Jan. 19, 2015, photo, shows Mogul Queen Mumtaz Mahal's first resting place after death in Burhanpur, India.In this Jan. 19, 2015, photo, a parrot sits on top of the collapsed ceiling of a pavilion that was Queen Mumtaz Mahal's first resting place after death in Burhanpur, India.This Jan. 19, 2015, photo, shows rubble inside the ruins of a palace frequently visited by Mogul Queen Mumtaz Mahal in Burhanpur, India.Michael Jordan, two other NBA owners join Forbes’ list of billionaireshttp://o.canada.com/sports/michael-jordan-two-other-nba-owners-join-forbes-list-of-billionaires
http://o.canada.com/sports/michael-jordan-two-other-nba-owners-join-forbes-list-of-billionaires#commentsMon, 02 Mar 2015 19:02:45 +0000https://postmediacanadadotcom.wordpress.com?p=595050&preview_id=595050]]>NEW YORK — Michael Jordan and two other NBA owners have joined Forbes’ annual list of the world’s billionaires.

Forbes released its list of billionaires on Monday and noted that Jordan’s net worth is estimated at $1 billion, thanks to his well-timed investment in the Charlotte Hornets.

Houston Rockets owner Leslie Alexander, with a net worth of $1.6 billion, and the Chicago Bulls owner Jerry Reinsdorf, worth $1.3 billion, also made the list.

The net worth of NBA franchise values increased this past year after the sale of Los Angeles Clippers to Steve Ballmer for $2 billion.

The 52-year-old Jordan, a Hall of Fame player who won six NBA championships with the Bulls, reached billionaire status last June, according to the magazine. This is his first year on Forbes’ annual list which typically is released in March.

]]>http://o.canada.com/sports/michael-jordan-two-other-nba-owners-join-forbes-list-of-billionaires/feed0Forbes-Jordan.jpgtheassociatedpresscanadaCanadian Museum for Human Rights bans ‘selfie’ stickshttp://o.canada.com/news/canadian-museum-for-human-rights-bans-selfie-sticks
http://o.canada.com/news/canadian-museum-for-human-rights-bans-selfie-sticks#commentsMon, 02 Mar 2015 15:51:17 +0000https://postmediacanadadotcom.wordpress.com?p=594940&preview_id=594940]]>WINNIPEG — The Canadian Museum for Human Rights in Winnipeg is joining renowned museums around the world in banning the use of ‘selfie’ sticks.

The sticks are the extendable poles that hold a camera or smartphone beyond arm’s length to help take group photographs, or pictures of one’s self.

Maureen Fitzhenry, a museum spokeswoman, says one of the main reasons for the ban is the safety of museum visitors and exhibits.

Fitzhenry says the facility is also concerned about the devices posing an obstacle to other visitors, and in maintaining a respectful environment, given the content of some of the exhibits.

Selfies are still allowed, but the museum encourages visitors to keep to hand-held, flash-free photography, and doesn’t allow the use of camera tripods.

Fitzhenry says, so far, the museum hasn’t had any trouble with people using the sticks.

The Canadian Museum of Human Rights in Winnipeg. [Canadian Museum of Human Rights-Aaron Cohen]

In February, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York barred visitors from using the devices, fearing they could damage artworks and disrupt fellow patrons.

The Met’s decision followed a string of U.S. institutions outlawing selfie sticks, including New York’s Museum of Modern Art, the National Gallery of Art in Washington and the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston.

The National Gallery in central London disallows them as well. (CTV Winnipeg, Global Winnipeg)

TORONTO — The troubled characters in Xavier Dolan’s forceful film “Mommy” had no trouble sweeping the Canadian Screen Awards on Sunday night, when the acclaimed feature racked up nine prizes including best picture.

Dolan’s raw look at a widowed mother and her violent teenage son dominated the film categories, with the 25-year-old Quebec phenom taking best director, best editing and best original screenplay for himself.

The wins began before the glitzy CBC broadcast even hit the air, when an emotional Dolan was awarded the best editing and best original screenplay award in a non-televised pre-show.

“In spite of our differences she is the most absolute source of inspiration to me…. She is present in every word that I write, in every frame that I cut, in everything that I do and the person she is is the reason I’m here today.”

During the broadcast, “Mommy” claimed all three of the acting prizes it had been up for, with best actor going to Antoine Olivier Pilon, best actress to Anne Dorval and best supporting actress to Suzanne Clement.

Meanwhile in the TV categories, the sci-fi clone saga “Orphan Black” loomed large, with wins for best drama and best TV drama actress for star Tatiana Maslany. That was on top of eight other awards it won at an earlier ceremony.

“It’s such an honour to be here tonight,” Maslany said as she claimed her trophy for deftly handling a slew of disparate, cloned characters.

“I’m so lucky to have this job, I feel so so lucky…. (Thank you to) all of the writers on our show and the cast and crew who are tireless and who fight for integrity and artistry at every level. Thank you, thank you, I could not do this without you.”

The sword-and-sandal spectacle “Pompeii” was another big film winner, claiming five trophies — for best costume design, art direction, visual effects, sound editing and overall sound. It also received the previously announced Cineplex Golden Screen Award, for earning the most at the box office.

The CBC broadcast was hosted by a jovial Andrea Martin who kicked off proceedings with jabs at Canadian politeness and frigid temperatures, and shoutouts to famous faces in the audience, including friend Eugene Levy and recent Oscar-winner Julianne Moore.

“Let’s give out some awards before they turn this place into a condo!” Martin declared from the venue, downtown Toronto’s glass-encased opera house.

In the end, the big wins were hardly surprises — “Orphan Black” and “Mommy” led the nominees with 13 apiece and each had strong momentum behind them.

An emotional Dorval hugged Dolan before taking the stage to claim her best actress prize, when she paused repeatedly to collect her emotions.

“Mon dieu, ay yi yi, thank you,” said Dorval, who switched between English and French as she read from a prepared speech.

“Thank you Xavier, mon ami…. Thank you for casting me in this role, thank you for talking about love with such heart and greatness and humanity as you did through this film.”

U.S. star John Cusack won the best supporting actor prize for “Maps to the Stars,” but was not on hand to accept.

Some Hollywood glitz came by way of Cusack’s co-star Moore, who had been up against Dorval in the best actress category for her turn as an aging starlet in David Cronenberg’s dark comic film.

Fresh off her Oscar win for “Still Alice,” Moore joined a list of presenters also including Maslany, Bruce Greenwood, Eugene Levy and Kiefer Sutherland.

In other TV wins, TMN/Movie Central’s “Call Me Fitz” capped its final season with the title of best TV comedy, besting CBC-TV’s “Mr. D,” City’s “Seed,” CTV’s “Spun Out,” and Super Channel’s “Tiny Plastic Men.”

Show creator Sheri Elwood said the win marked a bittersweet end to the raunchy series, an awards show favourite that starred Jason Priestley as a foul-mouthed sleazeball.

In other prizes, the best feature length documentary award went to “Super Duper Alice Cooper.”?

TORONTO — She’s played a necrophiliac in the film “Kissed,” a rabbi on the series “Six Feet Under,” and a congresswoman on “House of Cards.”

Now, as Vancouver native Molly Parker takes on the role of a devoted wife and mother who goes on a soul-seeking journey in the play “Harper Regan,” she admits it’s an unusual part for her — because it’s not so unusual.

“In many ways, Harper is a character who is a kind of everywoman — she’s a very unremarkable woman who does this very remarkable thing in this play,” she says.

“The challenge of that is really one of the reasons I wanted to do this play.

“I have been interested in my life or in my career … in women or characters who are on the verge of some kind of rebirth, and in that sense this is also that story.”

Written by Olivier Award winner Simon Stephens and directed by Matthew Jocelyn, “Harper Regan” makes its Canadian premiere at Toronto’s Bluma Appel Theatre on Sunday and runs through March 22.

Parker plays the eponymous character, who learns at the start of the play that her father is in a coma.

Despite protestations from her husband (Alex Poch-Goldin) and teenage daughter (Vivien Endicott-Douglas), she leaves their suburban London home to see her dad and ends up on a journey in which she encounters some wild and bizarre characters.

And he’s tired of seeing the BBC America-backed show dominate at the bash, which celebrates the best in homegrown film, television and digital media.

The sci-fi serial heads into this weekend’s televised ceremony with a leading eight trophies from a pre-show gala. This Sunday it competes for the title of best drama against Global’s “Remedy,” Bravo’s “19-2,” Showcase’s “Continuum,” and CTV’s “Motive.”

Colantoni says “Orphan Black” should be in a separate category because it gets funding from BBC America.

But the head of the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television — which administers the awards — says the majority of “Orphan Black”‘s budget comes from Canadian sources. Helga Stephenson adds that most Canadian shows get foreign funds to varying degrees.

Comic Andrea Martin hosts the Canadian Screen Awards from Toronto. It airs Sunday on CBC-TV.

On Friday, Colantoni complained that “Orphan Black” seemed to benefit from international bankrollers.

“They’ve got BBC money, you know what I mean?” Colantoni said Friday while promoting the upcoming second season of his Global medical drama.

“I love the show, and I love (star) Tatiana (Maslany) and thank you for putting a big Canadian flag on it. But it’s like when ‘Flashpoint’ was up against ‘The Borgias’ every year. It’s just like, really?”

Orphan Black, a Canadian show with worldwide acclaim, returns for a new season [Space]

A spokesman for CTV said “Orphan Black” is “virtually, 100% Canadian,” even though it does get BBC America support.

“This is, sadly, about people not realizing it’s a Canadian show. It is,” said Scott Henderson.

The Canadian Screen Awards have an international drama category, but this year it features just two nominees, both from History Channel: “The Great Martian War” and “Vikings.”

Stephenson said the academy does its best to verify that contenders are indeed in the right category, but added that it’s rare to find a show that is solely financed by Canadian sources.

“I believe that all of the major Canadian shows have funding from around the world in different pieces in order to get made. It’s one of the paradoxes of Canadian production.”

For a short moment, it seems as if actors Josh Duhamel and Dean Winters have morphed into their odd-couple cop characters from Battle Creek.

On the phone from a frigid Toronto, where the two stars of the darkly funny crime series are talking with Canadian media, Duhamel and Winters were asked how much they knew about the titular Michigan town at the centre of the new CBS series. Both did research on the town. But one apparently did more than the other.

” … because I’m a committed actor,” says Duhamel, who plays the seemingly clean-cut and impeccably thorough FBI agent Milton Chamberlain. “Unlike some people on this phone call.”

The premise of mismatched crime fighters who question each other’s methods is hardly a new phenomenon on TV. But the fact that Battle Creek, which debuts on Global TV on Sunday, is brought to us by Breaking Bad golden boy Vince Gilligan has upped its cachet as a mid-season entry. Gilligan first wrote the script a decade ago, long before wowing critics with AMC’s ultimate anti-hero show. But Winters and Duhamel say it was the involvement of Gilligan and co-creator David Shore, the London, Ont.-born writer-producer who created House, that interested them from the outset. Their stamp is all over Battle Creek, which cheerfully breaks many of the commandments of cop shows.

That includes the one mandating that mismatched crime fighters must eventually find common ground and mutual respect.

“The idea is that these two never get along,” Duhamel says. “I like the fact that they are not buddies and it’s not a buddy cop show. I don’t see them ever becoming buddies. I think, if anything, there’s a disdain that grows as we go. It almost becomes competitive, almost like a Spy vs. Spy thing but they have to work together.”

The fact that much of the antagonism, at least in Sunday’s opener, is based on jealousy of how better equipped and successful the newly arrived FBI agent is than Agnew and his chronically underfunded Battle Creek police department adds a delicious twist to the rivalry.

Much of the early humour in Episode 1 comes from Battle Creek’s shoddy equipment and need to improvise on a stakeout. So, with the exception of Agnew, everyone in the police department is delighted when help arrives in the form of Special Agent Chamberlain, who shows up from Detroit with golf-buddy photos of President Obama on his phone. Only Agnew is suspicious of the newcomer, questioning why someone would be transferred from Detroit to Battle Creek, a working-class town of less than 60,000 that is not exactly a hotbed of high-profile federal crime.

This is not to say serious cases won’t be investigated. The opener finds them looking into a double murder. But there will be investigations into illegal maple syrup production and the exploits of a party-hearty, drug-addled politician (played by comedian Patton Oswalt) who seems to closely resemble ex-Toronto mayor Rob Ford. Both actors have experience in comedy and drama. Duhamel’s television roles include the lead in the crime drama Las Vegas before he moved onto romantic comedies like When In Rome and blockbusters such as Transformers and two of its sequels. Winters first came to attention as an Irish-American hoodlum in the harrowing prison drama Oz, but was most recently seen as Liz’s man-child boyfriend in 30 Rock and the appropriately named Mayhem in a series of ads for Allstate Insurance.

“You can’t have good drama without lightness, otherwise it just becomes this preachy dirge and we’ve all seen it a million times — every cop show, every procedural, we’ve seen it done to death,” says Winters. “With this show, Vince really brings a different flavour to it and, where Vince left off, David picked up the reins and ran with it.”

In fact, the actors acknowledge that it may be Shore’s Canadianess that helps give Battle Creek its quirky feel.

“I grew up 40 miles south of the Canadian border so I know all about the Canadian sense of humour,” says Duhamel, who was raised in North Dakota. “I played football with a lot of these guys and they were always the funniest guys on the team. Some of my favourite actors out there are Canadian: I’m a huge Ryan Reynolds fan, I’m a huge Jim Carrey fan. I don’t know if it’s growing up in the cold weather or what, but there’s something … ”

” … twisted,” Winters offers.

” … twisted about it,” Duhamel says with a laugh. “And, yes, David does have that. And I’m a huge fan of it.”

ATLANTA — The curvy Coca-Cola bottle is celebrating its 100th birthday, and an art museum is exploring the origins and influence of a bottle design that’s so recognizable, you’d know the brand if you held it in the dark.

“The Coca-Cola Bottle: An American Icon at 100″ opens Saturday at Atlanta’s High Museum and is set to run through Oct. 4. Visitors can see original design illustrations, a prototype of the 1915 design and the work of artists who have been inspired by the now-classic design.

Coca-Cola is headquartered in Atlanta.

“To do something that not only stays its course for the company over 100 years, but that also becomes a cultural icon that really is recognizable all over the world, is amazing,” said High head of museum interpretation and exhibition curator Julia Forbes. “It really is a design success story.”

Julia Forbes, head of museum interpretation, holds a 3-D printed Coca-Cola bottle at the High Museum’s new exhibit, “The Coca-Cola Bottle: An American Icon at 100″, Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2015, in Atlanta. [AP Photo/Branden Camp]

The exhibition walks visitors through the history of the bottle’s design, which was conceived as a way to distinguish Coca-Cola from a multitude of imitators.

In a 1915 memo, the company asked glass companies to come up with “a bottle which a person could recognize even if they felt it in the dark, and so shaped that, even if broken, a person could tell at a glance what it was.”

The Root Glass Company in Terre Haute, Indiana, developed the winning design in “Georgia Green” glass with a bulge in the centre and ridges down the sides. The exhibition includes a concept sketch and patent for the contour bottle design, both dating from 1915. An original prototype bottle from 1915, one of only two known to exist, is also on display.

Opposite a display of Coca-Cola bottles through the years are two dozen posters by contemporary designers created in response to an invitation from Coca-Cola last year to imagine the next century. They were instructed to consider attributes like “universal happiness” and “stubborn optimism” and to use the colours red, black and white.

An entire gallery in the exhibition is devoted to Andy Warhol. On one wall are two paintings of single Coca-Cola bottles inspired by old ads, one a bit abstract with smudgy lines and the other with lines so crisp and clean it doesn’t even look like a painting. These works from 1961 and 1962 came at the beginning of Warhol’s Pop art style using commercial images.

A Warhol quote from 1975 is printed on the gallery wall: “What’s great about this country is that America started the tradition where the richest consumers buy essentially the same things as the poorest. You can be watching TV and see Coca-Cola, and you know that the President drinks Coca-Cola, Liz Taylor drinks Coca-Cola, and just think, you can drink Coca-Cola, too.”

A Coca-Cola bottle is displayed during a preview of the High Museum’s new exhibit, “The Coca-Cola Bottle: An American Icon at 100″, Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2015, in Atlanta. [AP Photo/Branden Camp]

The exhibition concludes with a gallery of photos from the mid-1930s through the present. In some, the photographer is clearly using a Coca-Cola bottle or logo as art, while in others the bottle and logo just happen to be present.

Two photos of Times Square from the mid-1930s and one from the late 1990s include Coca-Cola advertisements. The logo also pops out in shots of rural highways and stores, as well as urban landscapes. Photographer Imogen Cunningham in 1953 shot landscape photographer Ansel Adams sitting in his truck with a glass bottle of Coca-Cola in hand.

“They show the ubiquity of Coca-Cola,” Ted Ryan, who oversees archives for Coca-Cola, said of the photos. “It’s in Times Square. It’s in China. It’s on the street. It’s everywhere.”

The exhibition is a collaboration between the High and Coca-Cola, and kicks off a yearlong celebration of the instantly recognizable bottle that will include advertisements highlighting its design in more than 140 countries, Ryan said.

“It all starts here at the High,” Ryan said. “We wanted to start in our home.”

A Coca-Cola bottle designed in 1915 is displayed during a preview of the High Museum’s new exhibit, “The Coca-Cola Bottle: An American Icon at 100″, Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2015, in Atlanta. [AP Photo/Branden Camp]

——

If You Go…

THE COCA-COLA BOTTLE: AN ICON AT 100: Feb. 28 through Oct. 4 at the High Museum of Art, 1280 Peachtree St. NE, Atlanta; http://www.high.org, 404-733-5000. Open Tuesday to Saturday 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and on Friday until 9 p.m.; Sundays, noon-5 p.m. Adults, $19.50; students with ID and seniors 65 and over, $16.50; children 6-17, $12; children 5 and under, free.

13:05ET 26-02-15

]]>http://o.canada.com/travel/coca-cola-bottle-as-art-on-bottle-s-100th-birthday-atlanta-s-high-museum-explores-its-design/feed0High-Museum-Coca-Cola.jpgtheassociatedpresscanadaJulia Forbes, head of museum interpretation, holds a 3-D printed Coca-Cola bottle at the High Museum's new exhibit, "The Coca-Cola Bottle: An American Icon at 100", Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2015, in Atlanta. The exhibit, opening Feb. 28, explores the iconic design and creative legacy of the familiar soda bottle as art. (AP Photo/Branden Camp)A Coca-Cola bottle is displayed during a preview of the High Museum's new exhibit, "The Coca-Cola Bottle: An American Icon at 100", Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2015, in Atlanta. The exhibit, opening Feb. 28, explores the iconic design and creative legacy of the familiar soda bottle as art. (AP Photo/Branden Camp)A Coca-Cola bottle designed in 1915 is displayed during a preview of the High Museum's new exhibit, "The Coca-Cola Bottle: An American Icon at 100", Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2015, in Atlanta. The exhibit, opening Feb. 28, explores the iconic design and creative legacy of the familiar soda bottle as art. (AP Photo/Branden Camp)Sam Smith and Ed Sheeran win, Kanye West impresses and Madonna stumbles at UK’s Brit Awardshttp://o.canada.com/entertainment/sam-smith-and-ed-sheeran-win-kanye-west-impresses-and-madonna-stumbles-at-uks-brit-awards
http://o.canada.com/entertainment/sam-smith-and-ed-sheeran-win-kanye-west-impresses-and-madonna-stumbles-at-uks-brit-awards#commentsThu, 26 Feb 2015 15:17:23 +0000https://postmediacanadadotcom.wordpress.com?p=594278&preview_id=594278]]>LONDON — Sam Smith and Ed Sheeran each won a pair of prizes Wednesday at Britain’s leading music awards — but it took Kanye West to introduce some edge, with a song that proved too strong for television.

And Madonna gave the Brit Awards an unscripted moment when she took a dramatic tumble during a performance of “Living For Love.”

The queen of pop, who entered wearing a long cape carried by dancers, fumbled with the garment and fell backward down several stairs during the song, which includes a lyric about stumbling.

The song continues “I’m gonna carry on” — and she did, continuing the matador-themed routine.

Afterwards, she posted on Instagram that her cape had been tied too tightly, but said: “I’m fine!”

Elsewhere there were few surprises at the awards, which recognize international stars along with homegrown British talent.

Tousle-haired singer Sheeran won prizes for best British male solo artist and British album of the year, for “X.” Soulful crooner Smith won trophies for British breakthrough act and global success.

“Since I was a little kid I dreamed of people all over the world singing my songs,” Smith said. “This shows I’m stepping in the right direction.”

The 22-year-old Smith won four Grammys earlier this month, including record of the year for “Stay With Me.”

Smith was sultry and Sheeran was sensible, but West provided a dose of raw energy. He performed his raw, grime-influenced new song “All Day,” whose lyrics, peppered with expletives and the n-word, were muted for the show’s live TV broadcast.

West has said his new clothing line was influenced by the 2011 London riots, and the performance also had an urban-unrest feel, involving dozens of dancers and a giant flamethrower.

It has been a big year for British music, with Smith storming the Grammys and artists like Sheeran, baby-faced singer-songwriter George Ezra and the still-ubiquitous One Direction making waves.

The Brits were once renowned for chaos, enlivened by incidents including a 1992 stunt in which British band the KLF left a dead sheep at the after-show dinner. But the ceremony has been transformed in recent years into a slick talent showcase.

West aside, the tone of the evening was accomplished but not edgy, opening with a sleekly saucy performance of “Blank Space” by a black-clad Taylor Swift.

Swift was named best international female artist, while “Happy” hit-maker Pharrell Williams was named best international male act, and Foo Fighters won the trophy for international group. Mark Ronson’s “Uptown Funk” took the prize for best British single.

A dash of rock ‘n’ roll was added by grungy duo Royal Blood, awarded the best British group trophy by Led Zeppelin’s Jimmy Page — once a symbol of rock rebellion, now a distinguished elder statesman.

Royal Blood singer Mike Kerr said the award was a surprise to the band, and possibly to the audience, “as you may not even know who we are.”

The prize for best British female artist went to retro-loving singer Paloma Faith, who dedicated her award to “all the underdogs and all the grafters” who struggle to succeed.

Clutching a curvy white Brits statuette designed by artist Tracey Emin, Faith recalled how in her early days she had been arrested for putting up posters for her gigs. Now, she said, “my pictures are all over Greenwich Tube station legally, and that’s an amazing feeling.”

Winners in most categories are decided by a ballot of music-industry members, with some chosen by public vote, including a best British video award selected by online ballot during the ceremony. It was won by One Direction — just like last year.

]]>http://o.canada.com/entertainment/sam-smith-and-ed-sheeran-win-kanye-west-impresses-and-madonna-stumbles-at-uks-brit-awards/feed0Britain-Brit-Awards-2015-Arrivals.jpgtheassociatedpresscanadaMadonna tumbles down stairs but carries on at UK music s Brit Awardshttp://o.canada.com/entertainment/madonna-tumbles-down-stairs-but-carries-on-at-uk-music-s-brit-awards
http://o.canada.com/entertainment/madonna-tumbles-down-stairs-but-carries-on-at-uk-music-s-brit-awards#commentsThu, 26 Feb 2015 15:16:24 +0000https://postmediacanadadotcom.wordpress.com?p=594276&preview_id=594276]]>LONDON — Madonna has given music fans a shock when she tumbled down several stairs at the Brit Awards.

The 56-year-old queen of pop was closing Wednesday’s ceremony in London with a performance of her song “Living For Love.”

Madonna entered with a troupe of male dancers and appeared to fumble with a long, flowing cloak she was wearing. A member of the troupe yanked on the garment, which was tied at the neck, but rather than come off it pulled Madonna backward down three steps while her dancers looked on, seemingly in shock.

In a post on Instagram after the performance, Madonna said she was doing OK.

For the week after the versatile Californian’s contemplative record took album of the year at the awards gala, “Morning Phase” experienced a 409 per cent sales increase in Canada, according to data provided by Nielsen Entertainment.

Further, his song “Heart Is a Drum” experienced a 787 per cent streaming jump this past week in Canada after he performed it with Chris Martin in the telecast.

The other major Grammy beneficiary north of the border was Annie Lennox, who performed her “Fifty Shades of Grey”-affiliated cover of Screamin’ Jay Hawkins’ “I Put a Spell on You” during the telecast.

Streams of her version leaped 459 per cent in Canada, said Nielsen, and her album sales increased by 399 per cent.

The other singles to apparently impress Canadians were AC/DC’s “Rock or Bust” (streams of which jumped by 90 per cent), Hozier’s “Take Me to Church” (43 per cent increase), Sia’s “Chandelier” (39 per cent), Sam Smith’s “Stay With Me” (34 per cent) and Ed Sheeran’s “Thinking Out Loud” (24 per cent).

Sheeran’s album sales shot up at a faster pace, growing by 187 per cent.

Meanwhile, Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga’s collaborative album, “Cheek to Cheek,” saw its sales grow by 174 per cent in Canada, while ELO, Pharrell and AC/DC also saw album sales boosts greater than 100 per cent.

08:00ET 26-02-15

]]>http://o.canada.com/entertainment/grammys-give-beck-huge-sales-boost-in-canada-along-with-annie-lennox/feed0beckthecanadianpressFresh from the Oscars, Julianne Moore to appear at Canadian Screen Awardshttp://o.canada.com/entertainment/fresh-from-the-oscars-julianne-moore-to-appear-at-canadian-screen-awards
http://o.canada.com/entertainment/fresh-from-the-oscars-julianne-moore-to-appear-at-canadian-screen-awards#commentsWed, 25 Feb 2015 16:52:57 +0000https://postmediacanadadotcom.wordpress.com?p=594021&preview_id=594021]]>TORONTO — Fresh from her Oscar win, Julianne Moore is heading to the Canadian Screen Awards.

Organizers say Moore will be among the presenters at Sunday’s televised bash.

Moore collected an Oscar last Sunday for her turn as a professor with early-onset Alzheimer’s disease in “Still Alice.”

She’s up for another best actress trophy at the Canadian Screen Awards, for her appearance as an aging starlet in the David Cronenberg satire “Maps to the Stars.”

Other presenters are set to include “Homeland” and “The Blacklist” star Diego Klattenhoff, “Criminal Minds” star A.J. Cook, “Hockey Night in Canada”‘s George Stroumboulopoulos and “Rookie Blue” star Missy Peregrym.

The ceremony celebrates the best in Canadian film, television and digital media. It will be hosted by comic Andrea Martin and airs on CBC-TV.

]]>http://o.canada.com/entertainment/fresh-from-the-oscars-julianne-moore-to-appear-at-canadian-screen-awards/feed0Julianne Moore attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards at Hollywood & Highland Center on February 22, 2015 in Hollywood, California.thecanadianpressDirector-writer-actor Mark Duplass talks about his many projects, including Netflix dealhttp://o.canada.com/entertainment/director-writer-actor-mark-duplass-talks-about-his-many-projects-including-netflix-deal
http://o.canada.com/entertainment/director-writer-actor-mark-duplass-talks-about-his-many-projects-including-netflix-deal#commentsWed, 25 Feb 2015 16:39:34 +0000https://postmediacanadadotcom.wordpress.com?p=593953&preview_id=593953]]>NEW YORK — Talking to Mark Duplass, you realize that he understands time management. He speaks in sound bites and doesn’t linger.

“I’m efficient with the time that I have when I have it,” he said in a recent interview.

And he’s busy.

Duplass and his older brother Jay are writers and directors of the new HBO series “Togetherness,” which Mark stars in. He says it’s “a deeply personal show” that reflects what he sees about relationships among his friends.

The siblings recently signed a deal with Netflix to produce four films that will hit the streaming-video service after a short theatrical run.

Mark also stars in “The Lazarus Effect” opposite Olivia Wilde, about researchers trying to bring back the dead, opening in theatres Friday.

Duplass said he was intrigued by the premise that “most horror films are really bad” and also by the movie’s director, David Gelb, who made the documentary “Jiro Dreams of Sushi.”

“I was like, ‘Why is a food documentary filmmaker making a horror movie? This could be interesting.”‘

——

AP: You do a lot of directing and writing. Is it strange when you’re working solely as an actor on a project like “The Lazarus Effect”?

Duplass: There is nothing more rewarding than writing and directing my own films but there’s also nothing more exhausting. Just acting in a movie is kind of like the equivalent of being that drunk uncle that shows up and instead of having to parent the kids you just bring the Oreos, you play with the kids for three hours. Then you get to go home and the parents have to put the kids to bed.

AP: How do you feel about working with Netflix?

Duplass: When you have a company like Netflix or HBO or Amazon making independent films, they are huge companies that have a lot of money and they can Robin Hood from their bigger projects to help subsidize these smaller projects. … I’m really excited about where we’re headed now.

AP: Would you and Jay ever want to direct a blockbuster movie?

Duplass: Right now we don’t have a desire to make a huge movie. Part of that is because when you’re making something that costs that much money you shouldn’t be able to do exactly what you want to do because these guys have to make $180 million back. We like our own little corner where it doesn’t cost anybody too much money, we don’t make anybody that much money, but we get to do what we want to do.

AP: You and Jay have recurring roles on Fox’s “The Mindy Project.” You’re clearly busy so you must enjoy it to make it happen.

Duplass: There’s really no reason for me to show up other than the fact that I just love being there and I love hanging around that set. As long as they want to keep having us around, we’ll keep doing it. It’s fun.

AP: How do you feel about your series “The League” still going strong on FXX?

Duplass: We are about to start our seventh season, which is terrifying. I feel like I just started it 20 minutes ago. … The guys and I always joke, you know when we first showed up we were all like 28 and we’d spend maybe 30 seconds in the hair-and-makeup chair. Every year we spend a couple more minutes (laughs) filling in the grey hairs, working on the under-the-eye stuff. You can really track how long we’ve been on the show by how long we spend in that chair.

]]>http://o.canada.com/entertainment/director-writer-actor-mark-duplass-talks-about-his-many-projects-including-netflix-deal/feed030th-Film-Independent-Spirit-Awards-Arrivals.jpgtheassociatedpresscanadaGeddy Lee reflects on Toronto’s Massey Hall, site of first Rush live recordinghttp://o.canada.com/entertainment/geddy-lee-reflects-on-torontos-massey-hall-site-of-first-rush-live-recording
http://o.canada.com/entertainment/geddy-lee-reflects-on-torontos-massey-hall-site-of-first-rush-live-recording#commentsTue, 24 Feb 2015 14:40:01 +0000https://postmediacanadadotcom.wordpress.com?p=593666&preview_id=593666]]>TORONTO — Rush frontman Geddy Lee’s memory of attending his first show at Toronto’s Massey Hall remains spring-water clear — and what stands out is the sound quality that was swamp-water muddled.

It was June 5, 1968, and a then 22-year-old Lee was desperate to see British rock royalty Cream, even though his friends weren’t.

“I couldn’t get anyone to go see Cream with me,” Lee told The Canadian Press in one of Massey’s spartan dressing rooms Monday.

“I said: ‘Screw you all, I’m going by myself.’ I sat in the balcony. And I don’t think their PA system had arrived because they played onstage and Jack Bruce was singing through the Massey Hall crappy little announcement system.

“It was really strange,” he added, laughing.

The interior of Massey Hall. [THE CANADIAN PRESS/Galit Rodan]

Such whimsical glitches may become less common as the venerable Massey Hall — a piece of Toronto iconography since it was built back in 1894 — undergoes a seven-year, $135-million revitalization.

“Phase one” of that operation began this week, with improvements including a first-ever loading dock, a modernized back of house, a backstage space for artists, and technical tweaks.

Massey Hall has been the site of several legendary live recordings, including Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie’s “Jazz at Massey Hall,” Neil Young’s “Live at Massey Hall 1971″ and Rush’s own “All the World’s a Stage.”

The exterior of Massey Hall. [THE CANADIAN PRESS/Galit Rodan]

Lee talked to The Canadian Press about the relationship between the historic venue and his beloved power-prog trio.

CP: Rush played here for the first time in October 1974. What was going through your head?

Lee: Oh God … I was just awed by the whole situation. It was hard to believe that we were actually playing here. It’s funny: when you’re in the audience, the place feels huge. But when you stand onstage and look out, it just feels so much smaller than you remember it. You cannot reconcile that it’s the same place you used to sit in the audience and watch bands.

——

CP: Coming back in 1976 to record three gigs for “All the World’s a Stage,” were you nervous?

Lee: Oh, we were nervous. Because we’d never done a live album before. And all you think about when you’re recording live is: don’t make a mistake. And of course, that forces you to make mistakes. You always walk off feeling like you could do better.

Now we’ve done, I don’t know, 600,000 live albums — and it’s still a little bit nerve-racking.

——

CP: That album is still a fan favourite.

Lee: Yeah, I just did a VH1 show the other night and they had a throwdown between “All the World’s a Stage” and (1981’s) “Exit… Stage Left.” And “Exit… Stage Left” won between the two, but I voted for “All the World’s a Stage,” because it was our first live album and it’s very raw — which is the reason I didn’t like it after we finished it.

But all those things that bother you about your performances seem to disappear into the passage of time.

——

CP: There are a lot of beautiful old venues. Why is this one specifically so loved?

Lee: When you’re from Toronto, we don’t have many historic buildings left. We have a terrible history of tearing down some of our nicest buildings. There’s very little protection built into the fibre of Toronto in terms of its architectural point of view.

It’s a rare thing in Toronto to find a theatre that has had so many historic concerts in it, and it’s still around. I think that’s why as Torontonians we want to protect it.

It’s almost like a memorial plaque in some way to music.

]]>http://o.canada.com/entertainment/geddy-lee-reflects-on-torontos-massey-hall-site-of-first-rush-live-recording/feed0MUSIC-Rush-Massey-20150223.jpgthecanadianpressThe interior of Massey Hall.The exterior of Massey Hall.American Horror Story cast member Ben Woolf dies at 34 after street accidenthttp://o.canada.com/entertainment/american-horror-story-cast-member-ben-woolf-dies-at-34-after-street-accident
http://o.canada.com/entertainment/american-horror-story-cast-member-ben-woolf-dies-at-34-after-street-accident#commentsTue, 24 Feb 2015 14:34:25 +0000https://postmediacanadadotcom.wordpress.com?p=593650&preview_id=593650]]>LOS ANGELES — Ben Woolf, an actor on “American Horror Story,” has died after being injured in a street accident, a spokesman said. He was 34.

Woolf died Monday at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, publicist Zack Teperman said. Woolf’s family was at his side.

The 4-foot-4 actor was hospitalized in critical condition after he was hit by the side mirror of a passing vehicle on an LA-area street.

The motorist, who stopped at the scene Thursday night, wasn’t cited or arrested.

Woolf was a cast member on the FX show in its first season, in 2011, when he played a character called the Infantata. In the latest installment, “American Horror Story: Freak Show,” he appeared as Meep.

“He was a tremendous professional and an incredibly kind person, beloved by the ‘American Horror Story’ family,” FX and the show’s producers said in a statement.

Members of Woolf’s family said in a statement that they were overwhelmed by the love and support they’ve received for him.

Teperman, his publicist, called Woolf “one-of-a-kind,” a caring and hard-working man.

]]>http://o.canada.com/entertainment/american-horror-story-cast-member-ben-woolf-dies-at-34-after-street-accident/feed0Premiere-Screening-Of-American-Horror-Story-Freak-Show-.jpgtheassociatedpresscanadaCBS News releases video of Buenos Aires demonstration, central to O Reilly disputehttp://o.canada.com/entertainment/cbs-news-releases-video-of-buenos-aires-demonstration-central-to-o-reilly-dispute
http://o.canada.com/entertainment/cbs-news-releases-video-of-buenos-aires-demonstration-central-to-o-reilly-dispute#commentsTue, 24 Feb 2015 14:30:48 +0000https://postmediacanadadotcom.wordpress.com?p=593651&preview_id=593651]]>NEW YORK — CBS News on Monday released video from four stories it aired about the Falklands War in 1982, all part of a dispute involving Fox News Channel host Bill O’Reilly and his subsequent statements about covering the war.

None of the stories mentions O’Reilly, then a young CBS reporter, or makes any specific reference to a CBS crew member being hurt.

The television time travel was prompted by a Mother Jones article last week calling into question O’Reilly’s claims he reported in a “war zone” or “combat zone” during the brief conflict between Britain and Argentina. Few reporters made it to the front of the war, some 1,000 miles from the Argentine capital of Buenos Aires.

Former CBS News correspondent Eric Engberg, who also was covering the event, characterized O’Reilly’s account as “dishonest” and “completely nutty”

O’Reilly has said that he covered an anti-government demonstration in Buenos Aires that turned violent and that a photographer he was working with was knocked to the ground and was bleeding. Describing the events two years ago, O’Reilly said he “dragged off” the photographer from danger.

Former CBS News correspondent Eric Engberg, who also was covering the event, characterized O’Reilly’s account as “dishonest” and “completely nutty” during a Huffington Post interview on Monday. Engberg said none of the camera operators working the night in question remembers any colleague being injured. The camera person who was said to be hurt has not spoken publicly about the matter.

During one of the CBS reports, then-anchor Dan Rather said that several television crew members were knocked to the ground and that North American television crews were “jostled.”

An Engberg report, also released by CBS on Monday, said police fired guns with tear gas and plastic bullets. He said in the report it was unknown how many people were hurt but at least some were seriously injured.

An Associated Press account of the demonstration said that police officers charged a group of about 50 journalists, beating some and trampling others.

The release of the videos, while providing more detail about the situation O’Reilly faced 33 years ago, did not resolve the issue of whether his retellings of the experience have been completely factual.

In addition to his work at Fox, o’Reilly has become a force in the publishing industry with a series of books on the deaths of historical figures like Abraham Lincoln and Jesus Christ.

O’Reilly, on his program Monday night, showed portions of the CBS video and said it proved the event was no “walk in the park.” He interviewed Don Browne, a former NBC News Miami bureau chief who supervised the network’s Falklands coverage, who also described the situation. No mention was made in O’Reilly’s report Monday about any CBS News personnel being hurt.

The Mother Jones piece was printed shortly after NBC News anchor Brian Williams was suspended for misrepresenting his experiences in the Iraq War. O’Reilly, long the most popular prime-time figure in cable news, has called the piece a political hit job.

“Joan Rivers is among the many worthy artists and filmmakers we were unfortunately unable to feature in the In Memoriam segment of this year’s Oscar show. She is, however, included in our In Memoriam gallery on Oscar.com,” the statement said.

Fans on social media complained about Rivers’ absence from the tribute. Elaine Stritch was also a notable omission from the entertainment world, though her career was built on stage, not on screen.

Rivers was also not well-known for her film work, though she made a regular sideline out of her snarky critiques of red-carpet fashion.

Elizabeth Much, a spokeswoman for Rivers’ daughter, Melissa Rivers, said she would have no comment.

The Niagara River keeps flowing below the ice cover, so the falls aren’t completely frozen over. But the massive ice buildup near the brink has become a tourist magnet for the second straight year after several relatively mild winters.

Visitors have been flocking to Niagara Falls State Park, next to the American Falls, one of three waterfalls that make up the natural attraction. The cold has created a thick coating of ice and snow on every surface near the falls, including railings, trees and boulders.

]]>http://o.canada.com/travel/let-it-flow-frozen-niagara-falls-draws-tourists-to-winter-spectacle-river-still-flowing/feed0APTOPIX-Niagara-Falls.jpgtheassociatedpresscanadaJames Hahn captures first PGA Tour title in three-man playoff at Rivierahttp://o.canada.com/sports/james-hahn-captures-first-pga-tour-title-in-three-man-playoff-at-riviera
http://o.canada.com/sports/james-hahn-captures-first-pga-tour-title-in-three-man-playoff-at-riviera#commentsMon, 23 Feb 2015 00:53:19 +0000https://postmediacanadadotcom.wordpress.com?p=593348&preview_id=593348]]>LOS ANGELES — Too nervous to look, too stunned to dance, James Hahn won the Northern Trust Open for his first PGA Tour title Sunday by holing a 25-foot birdie putt on the third extra hole at Riviera.

In a wild finish off Sunset Boulevard just as the Academy Awards was getting started, Hahn wound up with the trophy against a field of far bigger names to earn his first trip to the Masters.

He got up-and-down from behind the 18th green in regulation to save par for a 2-under 69. And that turned out to be good enough for a playoff when Dustin Johnson missed a 10-foot birdie putt for the win. Johnson closed with a 69.

Paul Casey joined them in the playoff at 6-under 278 when he made bogey on the 18th hole for a 68.

Graham DeLaet was the top Canadian at 4-under. The Weyburn, Sask. native entered the final round in second place but a 2-over 73 dropped him into a tie for eighth spot.

Sergio Garcia finished bogey-bogey for a 71 to finish one shot out of the playoff. Jordan Spieth, thinking he needed birdie to get to 7 under for a playoff, nearly holed his aggressive chip on the 18th, and then missed the 6-foot par putt coming back. He shot 70 and missed the playoff by one, as did Keegan Bradley (68) and Hideki Matsuyama (67).

All three players made par on the 18th in the playoff, and then headed to the 10th hole, 310 yards of endless trouble. Casey was in the best shape just left of the green, hit a good chip to 15 feet and missed his putt.

Hahn and Johnson were in the rough behind the green and both hit daring flop shots over the back bunker that turned out perfectly. Hahn made his birdie from 10 feet, and Johnson matched him from 3 feet.

On the par-3 14th hole, Hahn pumped his fist when his 25-foot putt broke gently to the right and into the cup. He kept his head down when Johnson stood over his 12-foot birdie try to extend the playoff, looking up only when he heard the groans instead of a cheer.

“This is amazing,” Hahn said. “I never would have thought I would win this tournament.”

A shoe salesman as he tried to find his way in golf, Hahn was best known until now for his “Gangnam Style” celebration of his birdie two years ago on the 16th hole at the Phoenix Open.

Hahn is the first player from Cal to win on the PGA Tour. He still has 72 more wins to catch up with that other Golden Bear — Jack Nicklaus — though this was a great way to start.

He gets into his first World Golf Championship in two week at Doral, and he’s headed to the Masters.

Johnson, in his third tournament since returning from a six-month break to seek professional help for what he called “personal challenges,” made bogey with a wedge in his hand on the par-5 17th when he hit into a bunker, costing him a clear path toward winning.
Garcia let this one get away just as badly.
He had a one-shot lead playing the 17th and hooked his drive into the trees. Then, he blew his 50-foot putt from the fringe some 8 feet by the hole and missed the par putt. Tied for the lead, he pulled another tee shot into the left rough, came up short and chipped weakly to 25 feet for a bogey-bogey finish.
“I’ve always been truthful to myself and I didn’t deserve to win this week. It’s as simple as that,” Garcia said. “It caught up with my on the last six, seven holes. It was already a good effort for me to have a chance. Unfortunately, it’s never nice to finish bogey-bogey. But I can’t really be disappointed because I didn’t play well enough.”
Retief Goosen held on as long as he could until a horrid stretch on the back nine. The 46-year-old South African, going for his first victory in nearly six years, went from the trees on the left to the trees on the right and made double bogey on No. 13. He followed with two more bogeys. Only a pair of birdies at the end salvaged an otherwise miserable final round and he closed with a 75.
Everyone seemed to have a chance. Seven players had at least a share of the lead during the final round. That included Vijay Singh, who turned 52 on Sunday and was tied for the lead with a beautiful bunker shot to 10 feet on No. 10 for birdie. He didn’t made another birdie the rest of the way, fell back with a bogey on the 15th as the rain started to pound Riviera, and then taking double bogey on the par-3 16th. He shot 72.
Bae Sang-Moon also was tied for the lead until bogeys on the 11th and 12th holes. He closed with a 72 and tied for eighth.

]]>http://o.canada.com/sports/james-hahn-captures-first-pga-tour-title-in-three-man-playoff-at-riviera/feed0James HahntheassociatedpresscanadaNicklaus says Woods can still break record for majors, but needs positive thing to happenhttp://o.canada.com/sports/nicklaus-says-woods-can-still-break-record-for-majors-but-needs-positive-thing-to-happen
http://o.canada.com/sports/nicklaus-says-woods-can-still-break-record-for-majors-but-needs-positive-thing-to-happen#commentsFri, 20 Feb 2015 20:02:41 +0000https://postmediacanadadotcom.wordpress.com?p=593090&preview_id=593090]]>LOS ANGELES — Jack Nicklaus isn’t ruling out Tiger Woods breaking his record of 18 major championships provided he rediscovers his game.

Nicklaus said Friday on Golf Channel that Woods will have to do that on his own.

“You go through things and you have to have a positive thing happen to you to turn it around,” Nicklaus said. “I think Tiger will turn it around. He’s too dedicated, he works too hard at it, he’s got too much talent. He’ll figure it out. And personally, I think he needs to figure it out himself. Because a teacher can’t teach what’s inside your head. You’ve got to be able to put that positive thought into your head yourself.”

Woods, coming off an injury-played season that caused him to miss two majors, the FedEx Cup playoffs and the Ryder Cup, began his 2015 campaign with a career-high 82 to miss the cut in the Phoenix Open and withdrawing after 11 holes at Torrey Pines with tightness in his lower back.

He said the tightness was not related to the back surgery he had last spring that kept him out a combined seven months. Woods decided not to play the Honda Classic next week and said he won’t return until his game is ready for tournament competition.

“Tiger is struggling. I don’t think there’s any question about that,” Nicklaus said. “I think he’s struggling more between his ears than he is any place else. He’s struggled with the driver most of his life really, but he’s always been able to find the golf ball and get it somewhere back around the green.

“And now he’s having trouble with the short game,” he added. “That is not a good combination, to drive it poorly and have a bad short game.”

Nicklaus spoke on Golf Channel from Doral, site of the Cadillac Championship. The Jack Nicklaus Villa at Trump National Doral was unveiled on Friday.

Woods has been linked to Nicklaus for his entire career, mainly because of the benchmark Nicklaus established with his 18 professional majors. As a kid, he had a chart taped up in his bedroom of what Nicklaus accomplished at various ages as an amateur.

Woods won his 14th major in the 2008 U.S. Open at Torrey Pines, a week before he had reconstructive knee surgery. He was ahead of pace then, but he has gone six years without winning a major and he hasn’t played in six majors since his last victory because of injuries.

Nicklaus said he still thinks Woods will eclipse his record, a question the Golden Bear has been asked more than any other over the years. He once joked about the headlines he would create if he ever answered, “No.”

“I still do. Why would I not think that?” Nicklaus said. “He’s got a lot of golf in front of him. But it’s going to be up to him. He’s still got to do it. He may, he may not. Obviously, chances are harder for him now than five years ago, but I still think he has time on his side.”

UFC president Dana White made the announcement at a Las Vegas news conference on the organization’s plan to beef up drug testing.

MacDonald, a native of Quesnel, B.C., had been due to meet Hector Lombard, ranked sixth among welterweight contenders, at UFC 186 in Montreal in April.

But that fight was dropped after Lombard tested positive for steroids at UFC 182.

MacDonald (18-2) is ranked second among 170-pound contenders. The Montreal-based fighter lost a split decision to Lawler (25-10 with one no contest) when they met at UFC 167 in November 2013.

The MacDonald-Lawler fight will be the co-main event of UFC 189 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. The previously announced main event pits featherweight champion Jose Aldo against rising Irish star (The Notorious) Conor McGregor.

]]>http://o.canada.com/sports/canadian-rory-macdonald-to-fight-for-ufc-welterweight-title-in-july/feed0Rory MacDonaldthecanadianpressPhotos Feb 17: Top images from around the worldhttp://o.canada.com/news/photos-feb-17-top-images-from-around-the-world
http://o.canada.com/news/photos-feb-17-top-images-from-around-the-world#commentsTue, 17 Feb 2015 17:47:29 +0000http://o.canada.com/?p=592018]]>The day’s best photos, as selected by editors at Postmedia News, are a stunning collection of the greatest images from around the world.

A performer from the Imperatriz Leopoldinense samba school parades on a float during carnival celebrations at the Sambadrome in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana)

A performer from the Imperatriz Leopoldinense samba school parades during carnival celebrations at the Sambadrome in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)

Performers from the Uniao da Ilha do Governador samba school parade in rodent costumes during carnival celebrations at the Sambadrome in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (AP Photo/Silvia Izquierdo)

Drum queen Juliana Alves from the Unidos da Tijuca samba school parades during carnival celebrations at the Sambadrome in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana)

Performers from the Unidos da Tijuca samba school parade during carnival celebrations at the Sambadrome in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana)

Indian Hindu devotees of Lord Shiva watch as artists perform during a religious procession to mark the Hindu festival of Maha Shivratri in Allahabad. Sanjay Kanojia/AFP/Getty Images

A Hindu holy man walks amid a sea of devotees at the Pashupatinath temple during Shivratri festival in Kathmandu, Nepal. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha)

An Indian Hindu devotee demonstrates his fire skills during a religious procession to mark the Hindu festival of Maha Shivratri in Allahabad. Sanjay Kanojia/AFP/Getty Images

The aurora borealis, or the northern lights as they are commonly known are photographed, over Dunstanburgh Castle, in Northumberland, England. (AP Photo/PA, Owen Humphreys)

]]>http://o.canada.com/news/photos-feb-17-top-images-from-around-the-world/feed0Brazil Carnivalpostmedianews1A performer from the Imperatriz Leopoldinense samba school parades on a float during carnival celebrations at the Sambadrome in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana)A performer from the Imperatriz Leopoldinense samba school parades during carnival celebrations at the Sambadrome in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)Performers from the Uniao da Ilha do Governador samba school parade in rodent costumes during carnival celebrations at the Sambadrome in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (AP Photo/Silvia Izquierdo)Drum queen Juliana Alves from the Unidos da Tijuca samba school parades during carnival celebrations at the Sambadrome in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana)Performers from the Unidos da Tijuca samba school parade during carnival celebrations at the Sambadrome in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana)Indian Hindu devotees of Lord Shiva watch as artists perform during a religious procession to mark the Hindu festival of Maha Shivratri in Allahabad. Sanjay Kanojia/AFP/Getty ImagesA Hindu holy man walks amid a sea of devotees at the Pashupatinath temple during Shivratri festival in Kathmandu, Nepal. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha)Nepalese Hindu worshippers warm themselves near a fire during the Maha Shivaratri festival in Kathmandu. PRAKASH MATHEMA/AFP/Getty ImagesA Nepalese Hindu Sadhu (holy man) paints coloured paste onto his face during the Maha Shivaratri festival in Kathmandu. PRAKASH MATHEMA/AFP/Getty ImagesAn Indian Hindu devotee demonstrates his fire skills during a religious procession to mark the Hindu festival of Maha Shivratri in Allahabad. Sanjay Kanojia/AFP/Getty ImagesThe aurora borealis, or the northern lights as they are commonly known are photographed, over Dunstanburgh Castle, in Northumberland, England. (AP Photo/PA, Owen Humphreys) Sun News shuts down, a Lawyer is arrested, and seniors renew their Valentine’s vowshttp://o.canada.com/news/sun-news-shuts-down-a-lawyer-is-arrested-and-seniors-renew-their-valentines-vows
http://o.canada.com/news/sun-news-shuts-down-a-lawyer-is-arrested-and-seniors-renew-their-valentines-vows#commentsFri, 13 Feb 2015 20:07:45 +0000http://o.canada.com/?p=591383]]>The Sun News Network stopped broadcasting today, putting 200 people out of work, and ending four years of “Fox News North”. The conservative-angled news channel launched in 2011, and was left up in the air after after Postmedia (which owns Canada.com and the National Post) announced they would buy the Sun newspapers and websites, but not the channel. Laura Liscio, 32, was wearing her black robes and about to enter the courtroom when police put her in handcuffs and arrested her for allegedly carrying drugs into the building. Liscio will next appear in court on March 15. And, the residents of Banwell Gardens retirement home celebrated Valentine’s day in style with a lunch where elderly couples renewed their vows.]]>http://o.canada.com/news/sun-news-shuts-down-a-lawyer-is-arrested-and-seniors-renew-their-valentines-vows/feed0vows2rosenadanielVandals spray graffiti at New Mexico monument protecting ancient American Indian rock arthttp://o.canada.com/travel/vandals-spray-graffiti-at-new-mexico-monument-protecting-ancient-american-indian-rock-art
http://o.canada.com/travel/vandals-spray-graffiti-at-new-mexico-monument-protecting-ancient-american-indian-rock-art#commentsThu, 12 Feb 2015 13:49:34 +0000https://postmediacanadadotcom.wordpress.com?p=590969&preview_id=590969]]>THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Vandals in New Mexico sprayed graffiti, dumped trash and set illegal campfires near ancient American Indian rock art at one of North America’s largest petroglyph sites.

Dennis Vasquez, superintendent of Petroglyph National Monument near Albuquerque, found graffiti, debris, evidence of campfires and motorcycle tracks last week while exploring a section of the park. He also found shotgun shells and semi-trailer tires in the monument’s canyon.

It was unclear if any of the thousands of centuries-old Pueblo Indian markings of symbols and animals were damaged.

City crews are removing litter and debris and restoring sections of downed fence at the park jointly managed by the National Park Service and Albuquerque. They will work to remove the graffiti as quickly as possible and try to prevent permanent damage.

No arrests have been made after vandals, armed with gold spray paint, wrote things like “taz,” “Love Jesus,” and “Crazy Bone” over the lava rock.

Monument advocate Ike Eastvold said he had not been to the vandalized area in about three years so he didn’t know how long the garbage and vandalism was there.

“You can see this is a campfire area here, which is illegal,” Eastvold told KRQE-TV, while pointing to a pile of burned trash. “They come down here and shoot, too. They have even shot the petroglyphs.”

While there has been a decline in vandalism and other serious criminal violations, some petty problems are on the rise, officials say. A management agreement allows park rangers to issue citations.

In September, authorities say pathways at the Petroglyph National Monument were damaged after someone took a joyride in hot-wired farm equipment.

In this photo taken Monday, Feb. 9, 2015, Ike Eastvold holds his hands to his ears to hear the wind and wildlife in the surrounding area of a dry cave located near the head of the Boca Negra Arroyo in the Northern Geological Window portion of the Petroglyph National Monument in Albuquerque, N.M. Behind him vandals have sprayed painted the cave and set campfire in the evening. He is trying to get someone to help put an end to the rampant vandalism in the monument. [AP Photo/The Albuquerque Journal, Roberto E. Rosales]

18:02ET 11-02-15]]>http://o.canada.com/travel/vandals-spray-graffiti-at-new-mexico-monument-protecting-ancient-american-indian-rock-art/feed1Monument-Vandalism.jpgtheassociatedpresscanadaIn this photo taken Monday, Feb. 9, 2015, Ike Eastvold holds his hands to his ears to hear the wind and wildlife in the surrounding area of a dry cave located near the head of the Boca Negra Arroyo in the Northern Geological Window portion of the Petroglyph National Monument in Albuquerque, N.M. Behind him vandals have sprayed painted the cave and set campfire in the evening. He is trying to get someone to help put an end to the rampant vandalism in the monument. (AP Photo/The Albuquerque Journal, Roberto E. Rosales) MANDATORY CREDITWatch Jon Stewart tell his audience he’s quitting the Daily Showhttp://o.canada.com/entertainment/watch-jon-stewart-tell-his-audience-hes-quitting-the-daily-show
http://o.canada.com/entertainment/watch-jon-stewart-tell-his-audience-hes-quitting-the-daily-show#commentsWed, 11 Feb 2015 18:03:18 +0000http://o.canada.com/?p=590718]]>An emotional Jon Stewart was met by a chorus of disappointment and applause as he announced the news of his retirement from The Daily Show to the program’s audience on Tuesday.

Stewart has been with the show for 17 years — 16 years and five months longer than he’s ever held a job, he said.

“In my heart I know, I know it is time for someone else to have that opportunity,” said Stewart. He said Comedy Network is still working out details of his departure, but it sounds like Stewart is looking forward to some free time.

“I am going to have dinner on a school night with my family, who I have heard from multiple sources are lovely people,” he joked.

The Onion’s A.V. Club first broke the announcement, saying that Stewart had built one of the “most venerable and trusted careers in making a complete mockery of the news.”

Watch as Stewart breaks the news of his retirement to an audience of fans:

DEARBORN, Mich. — A Michigan museum that’s home to the chair in which President Abraham Lincoln was killed is hosting a renowned author during events marking the assassination’s 150th anniversary.

The Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn will feature a lecture April 13 by Doris Kearns Goodwin, two days before the anniversary. The author of “Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln” is expected to talk about Lincoln’s experiences and their relevance today.

Goodwin’s book was a source for Steven Spielberg’s film, “Lincoln.”

Tickets range from $50 to $150. The most expensive ticket includes a reception with Kearns Goodwin and a copy of her book.

The museum will waive admission on April 15 and take Lincoln’s theatre chair out of its glass enclosure.

LOS ANGELES — The Broad, a contemporary art museum in downtown Los Angeles that will be free to visitors, said Thursday it will open its doors on Sept. 20.

The $140 million museum next to Walt Disney Concert Hall will showcase the collection of billionaire philanthropist Eli Broad, who has been instrumental in transforming the once-rundown neighbourhood just south of City Hall.

Among the artists whose work will be displayed are Andy Warhol, Jasper Johns, Ed Ruscha, Cindy Sherman, and Roy Lichtenstein.

Broad said the museum, with its free admission, is his gift to the people of Los Angeles. It will open for a one-day sneak preview on Feb. 15. Tickets for that event will cost $10.

The block-long, three-story building designed by architect Elizabeth Diller features a porous, concrete veil sheathed in glass that will provide natural light and a view of some of the works from the street. Through portals, visitors also will get a glimpse of works housed in a vault.

Broad, whose wealth is estimated by Forbes at $6.9 billion, made a fortune in real estate as co-founder of homebuilder Kaufman & Broad and later as founder of the investment firm SunAmerica.

After selling SunAmerica for $18 billion in 1998, he turned his interests to philanthropy, focusing largely on art and education.

In this Monday, Jan. 26, 2015 photo a pedestrian walks past the construction site of the Broad Museum in downtown Los Angeles. The new contemporary art museum that will be free to visitors, is set to open Sept. 20. Museum officials on Thursday, Feb. 5, 2015 announced the opening date for the block-long, three-story building next door to the Walt Disney Concert Hall. The $140 million institution will showcase the priceless collection of billionaire philanthropist Eli Broad. Among the artists whose work will be displayed are Andy Warhol, Jasper Johns, Ed Ruscha, Cindy Sherman, and Roy Lichtenstein. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel) []

13:12ET 05-02-15]]>http://o.canada.com/travel/broad-contemporary-art-museum-sets-opening-date-in-la-admission-will-be-free/feed0Eli-Broads-Museum.jpgtheassociatedpresscanadaIn this Monday, Jan. 26, 2015 photo a pedestrian walks past the construction site of the Broad Museum in downtown Los Angeles. The new contemporary art museum that will be free to visitors, is set to open Sept. 20. Museum officials on Thursday, Feb. 5, 2015 announced the opening date for the block-long, three-story building next door to the Walt Disney Concert Hall. The $140 million institution will showcase the priceless collection of billionaire philanthropist Eli Broad. Among the artists whose work will be displayed are Andy Warhol, Jasper Johns, Ed Ruscha, Cindy Sherman, and Roy Lichtenstein. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel)Will the internet be the death of museums?http://o.canada.com/technology/will-the-internet-be-the-death-of-museums
http://o.canada.com/technology/will-the-internet-be-the-death-of-museums#commentsThu, 05 Feb 2015 17:47:14 +0000http://o.canada.com/?p=589328]]>In August 2014, the Royal Ontario Museum opened its doors to dozens of aspiring game developers, and tasked them with putting together a game about evolution. They were given access to galleries, archives and curators, and told to use the information they gathered to make a game that would be displayed at the ROM.

It wasn’t the first time the ROM did this, in fact, the 2013 jam produced a game called Clash of the Talons, about red-tailed hawks and horned owls competing for prey. But the game jam was just one of a few initiatives that the ROM has undertaken to try and change how people view museums in the age of the internet.

According to museum industry publication The Art Newspaper, the ROM reported 912,000 visitors in 2011, just under the magic million mark. The ROM is consistently among the highest-performing museum in Canada, but lately, it’s been hovering below a million visitors a year, which isn’t even enough to land it in the top 60. The number’s been climbing, with just over a million guests in 2012, but 2013 saw another drop to 945,000.

The drop makes a certain amount of sense. Odds are if you have a question these days, your first thought isn’t to go check out a museum to find the answer – you’ve got Google for that. But museums, the ROM included, are struggling to find ways to connect to people who are increasingly connected to the internet.

A screenshot of Clash of the Talons, a video game currently being displayed at the ROM. [Kronopath Studios. Gabriel B. Nunes]

“I don’t necessarily see these institutions as forward looking,” says Dave Ireland,the managing director for the centre of discovery in biodiversity at the ROM. “Many of them still feel as if they can stand on a pulpit and tell audiences what they need to know.”

Ireland believes that kind of lecturing is what makes people think museums are dry and stuffy. It’s what makes him want to pursue projects like the game jam. Ireland was one of the people behind that program, and sees his job at the museum as helping the researchers in the “back of the house” get to tell their stories. He’s worked in the museum industry for five years, and though he’s not a lifer, he believes that the sector as a whole has a couple of problems.

“One of the most significant projects right now is to make all our content available online,” says Dave Ireland, “It’s way overdue, but getting 8 million specimens and their metadata online is no easy project.”

“The whole museum sector is kind of struggling right now to make itself relevant to a very stimulated world,” he says. “Video games are not a vehicle that the sector has used in the past, but one that has a huge audience. We wanted to tap into not only that audience that loves the vehicle, but show our own audience that we could be innovative, new, different.”

The game jam isn’t the only way the ROM is trying to mix digital with physical. Deputy director of engagement, Xerxes Mazda has spent his time at the museum trying to find new ways of connecting with and educating visitors.

People drink as they attend the Royal Ontario Museum’s Friday Night Live event in Toronto. [THE CANADIAN PRESS/Michelle Siu]

“I think one of the most important things a museum can provide is a social experience,” he says. “One of the things that we know is that many visitors come here not just because they want to learn, but because they want to learn in an environment like this. They want a chance to talk to other people about what they’re looking at.”

Part of creating that social experience also involves digging in to social media. There are hashtags scattered around galleries, encouraging visitors to tweet questions at the museum’s curators, but Mazda says it only goes so far. During the museum’s regular Friday Night Live events, he says the whole museum becomes a “social media lounge.”

“What we found is that people converse with each other, and so the atmosphere is created as much by people contributing to it as it is by us,” Mazda says. “When we’ve looked at doing social media activation ourselves, they’re less interested in engaging with us than they are in engaging with each other.”

Mazda says that his focus these days is co-creation, having the exhibit be a conversation between visitors and and the museum.

“Social media allows us to work with visitors,” he says. “So that nothing we do is ever finished, but that things are co-created.”

For him, that involves letting visitors send their museum selfies to be displayed in galleries, and having curators answer questions directly over social media, but is that enough to get people into museums?

People attend the Royal Ontario Museum’s Friday Night Live event in Toronto. Friday Night Live is one of a few attempts the museum is making to draw in young people and social media attention. [THE CANADIAN PRESS/Michelle Siu]

If you don’t want to go to the museum, but you’re looking to see some artifacts, Google has you covered in more ways than one. In 2011, they launched the Google Art Project, which digitizes artworks, artifacts, and even entire museum galleries. On top of that, some exhibits get the street view treatment, letting users virtually walk through a near-perfect recreation of the gallery.

Street view isn’t perfect. The world is flat, and you can’t necessarily interact with something. But, it’s just step one. Google puts every object it digitizes online, and there’s nothing stopping people from modelling their own galleries and letting people walk around and get as close as possible to being in a museum without actually leaving the house.

Douglas Coupland’s exhibit at the Vancouver Art Gallery has been fully digitized, but is also currently running at the ROM. [Wayne Leidenfrost/PNG photo]

Recently, the Google Art Project digitized The Vancouver Art Gallery and Douglas Coupland’s “everywhere is anywhere is anything is everything” exhibit, which is currently running at the ROM. Anyone can see the entire exhibit online, without having to actually go to the museum. In an email interview with Postmedia, Daina Augaitis, chief curator of the Vancouver Art Gallery, said that galleries are trying to expand their digital presence.

“While the physical object still carries great weight, galleries are increasingly interested in expanding the visitor’s engagement,” she says. “‎How do you extend the visit beyond the walls of the museum? This is a question that we ask ourselves, and the online world is where many people, especially younger ones, are spending time.”

When it comes to the ROM though, Ireland still believes in the real. He might be all about pushing museums into the digital age, but the physical space also has a place. He says that all the museum’s research shows that people still want to see and touch real artifacts.

“I don’t see virtual experiences replacing the real thing,” he says. “But using technology, we can enhance that concept, make it more accessible. At the end of the day the root content will be, and has to be, something real.”

And Mazda doesn’t believe that digital galleries even take people away from museums.

“If we think back to the pre-digital era, museums used to publish images of objects in their collection in books,” he says. “I had posters of many great artworks on my wall. Did that stop me then visiting the museum? No, it did the opposite. These became things that I was familiar with, that I knew, that I needed to go see. That’s exactly what all evidence points towards is happening with the internet.”

“The idea that somehow, putting things online stops people from visiting museums is in fact the exact opposite. All it does is engage people more.”

]]>http://o.canada.com/technology/will-the-internet-be-the-death-of-museums/feed3TRAVEL Log Museum Parties 20121210rosenadanielA screenshot of Clash of the Talons, a video game currently being displayed at the ROM.People drink as they attend the Royal Ontario Museum's Friday Night Live event in Toronto.People attend the Royal Ontario Museum's Friday Night Live event in Toronto. Friday Night Live is one of a few attempts the museum is making to draw in young people and social media attention.Douglas Coupland's exhibit at the Vancouver Art Gallery has been fully digitized, but is also currently running at the ROM.Matthew MacDonald (L), 14, Kinkora, PE, and Jackson Hunter (R), 12, Sherwood Park, AB, feel some hieroglyphs in a tomb, during a trip to the Royal Ontario Museum.Ex-rap mogul Suge Knight remains in hospital a day after pleading not guilty in murder casehttp://o.canada.com/entertainment/music/ex-rap-mogul-suge-knight-remains-in-hospital-a-day-after-pleading-not-guilty-in-murder-case
http://o.canada.com/entertainment/music/ex-rap-mogul-suge-knight-remains-in-hospital-a-day-after-pleading-not-guilty-in-murder-case#commentsWed, 04 Feb 2015 22:19:23 +0000https://postmediacanadadotcom.wordpress.com?p=589058&preview_id=589058]]>LOS ANGELES — Former rap mogul Marion “Suge” Knight on Wednesday remained in a hospital where he was taken a day earlier for chest pains after pleading not guilty to a murder charge.

Los Angeles County sheriff’s Deputy Guillermina Saldana said the agency could not provide any further details on the 49-year-old Knight, who is accused of intentionally running down and killing a friend on Jan. 29. Another man was injured.

Knight complained of chest pains on Tuesday, about an hour after he pleaded not guilty to murder, attempted murder and hit-and-run charges.

Knight’s attorney David Kenner has not returned phone messages seeking an update on his client’s health.

Knight founded Death Row Records, which once featured Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre and Tupac Shakur as its top artists.

Knight is accused of running down and killing his friend Terry Carter, 55, and attempting to kill Cle “Bone” Sloan, 51, in a burger stand parking lot after an argument on the set of “Straight Outta Compton,” a movie about the rise of the rap group N.W.A.

Knight’s former attorney James Blatt has said Knight was attacked by four people, including Sloan, as he pulled into the lot after Carter asked him to come for a meeting. Blatt said Knight hit the gas as he fled in fear.

Kenner said his client is remorseful about Carter’s death but that does not mean he’s guilty of the crimes.

“He feels bad that somebody that he knew is deceased,” Kenner said. “It’s not his fault.”

This image from video shows Death Row Records founder Marion “Suge” Knight, right, walking into the Los Angeles County Sheriffs department early Friday morning Jan. 30, 2015 in connection with a hit-and-run incident that left one man dead and another injured. [AP Photo/OnSceneVideo via AP Television]

Michael R. Shapiro, an attorney who represents Sloan, said his client has a mangled left foot and some neurological issues and is recovering from his injuries under heavy security.

Knight is scheduled to appear for a hearing Monday to determine whether he can be released on bail or must stay in custody. He could face life in prison if convicted.

The hip-hop figure was at the centre of one of the most notorious rap conflicts of the 1990s, pitting Shakur against Biggie Smalls in an East Coast-West Coast rivalry.

Knight was sent to prison for nearly five years for badly beating a rival with Shakur at a Las Vegas hotel, just hours before Shakur was fatally shot while riding in Knight’s car in 1996.

]]>http://o.canada.com/entertainment/music/ex-rap-mogul-suge-knight-remains-in-hospital-a-day-after-pleading-not-guilty-in-murder-case/feed0Suge-Knight-Arrest.jpgtheassociatedpresscanadaFILE - In this Aug. 15, 1996, file photo, rapper Tupac Shakur, left, and a founder of Death Row Records, Marion "Suge" Knight, attend a voter registration event in South Central Los Angeles. This image from video shows Death Row Records founder Marion "Suge" Knight, right, walking into the Los Angeles County Sheriffs department early Friday morning Jan. 30, 2015 in connection with a hit-and-run incident that left one man dead and another injured.Former rap mogul Suge Knight taken to hospital after pleading not guilty to murder chargehttp://o.canada.com/entertainment/music/former-rap-mogul-suge-knight-taken-to-hospital-after-pleading-not-guilty-to-murder-charge
http://o.canada.com/entertainment/music/former-rap-mogul-suge-knight-taken-to-hospital-after-pleading-not-guilty-to-murder-charge#commentsTue, 03 Feb 2015 22:08:10 +0000https://postmediacanadadotcom.wordpress.com?p=588376&preview_id=588376]]>By Anthony McCartney

COMPTON, Calif. — Former rap music mogul Suge Knight pleaded not guilty Tuesday to murder and attempted murder charges before complaining of chest pain and being rushed to a hospital.

No further information about his condition was immediately available, Los Angeles County sheriff’s Officer John Gardner said.

Knight’s attorney David Kenner said he was on the way to the hospital to see his client but had no details on his condition.

Knight wore orange jail attire at the morning court appearance where he entered not guilty pleas to four felonies, including hit-and-run charges, filed after the Death Row Records founder struck two men with his pickup truck last week.

Knight is accused of intentionally running down two men, including a friend, in Compton on Thursday. Knight’s attorneys have said he hit the men by accident as Knight fled a vicious attack.

Knight is charged with killing Terry Carter, 55, and attempting to kill Cle “Bone” Sloan, 51, in a burger stand parking lot after an argument occurred at a separate site where the movie “Straight Outta Compton” about the rise of the rap group N.W.A. was being filmed.

Kenner, said his client is remorseful about Carter’s death but that does not mean he’s guilty of the crimes.

“He feels bad that somebody that he knew is deceased,” Kenner said. “It’s not his fault.”

Michael R. Shapiro, an attorney who represents Sloan, said his client has a mangled left foot and some neurological issues and is recovering from his injuries under heavy security.

Knight was at the centre of one of the most notorious rap conflicts of the 1990s, pitting Tupac Shakur against Biggie Smalls in an East Coast-West Coast rivalry.

Knight was sent to prison for nearly five years for badly beating a rival with Shakur at a Las Vegas hotel, just hours before Shakur was fatally shot while riding in Knight’s car in 1996.

In the current case, Knight struck two men with his pickup in a Compton parking lot. The collision killed his friend Carter, a founder and owner of Heavyweight Records who was viewed as a community father figure who tried to mentor young men, said Doug Young, a friend and hip-hop music promoter. Sloan is an actor and film consultant.

Authorities said Knight visited the set for “Straight Outta Compton” and argued with Sloan, who was working at the location. Sheriff’s deputies providing security asked Knight to leave.

A short time later, the argument resumed in a parking lot a few miles away where Knight and Sloan exchanged punches through a window of the pickup before the two men were run down, authorities said.

Knight’s former attorney James Blatt has said Knight was attacked by four people, including Sloan, as he pulled into the lot after Carter requested he come for a meeting. Blatt said Knight hit the gas as he fled in fear.

Knight is due back in court on Feb. 9 when a judge will consider whether to set bail.

Hansen initially told police she had been driving home from an Aspen Art Museum party when she lost control of Armstrong’s GMC Yukon on the icy roads, hitting the cars. She said she drove because “Lance had a little bit to drink,” according to the reports.

A man who had been renting one of the damaged cars told a police detective that Hansen came running up to his house in high heels, apologizing and promising to pay for the repairs.

“She said, ‘I’m Anna, we’re the Armstrongs, my husband’s Lance, he was just driving maybe too fast around the corner or something,”‘ the man told police, according to the reports.

He called 911 to report a hit-and-run. Hansen and Armstrong left the scene before police arrived.

Detectives later interviewed Hansen, who eventually told them Armstrong was driving, but they had both decided to let her take the blame.

“We’ve had our family name smeared over every paper in the world in the last couple of years and honestly, I’ve got teenagers, I just wanted to protect my family,” Hansen told police. “I thought, gosh, Anna Hansen hit some cars, it’s not going to show up in the papers, but Lance Armstrong hit some cars, it’s going to be a national story.”

Failure to report an accident is a misdemeanour punishable by up to 90 days in jail and a fine of between $150 and $300. Driving too fast for conditions is punishable by a fine between $15 and $100.

Hansen is not charged with a crime.

The Aspen Daily News first reported the citation.

Armstrong won the Tour de France every year from 1999-2005. Those titles were stripped after a massive report by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency detailed the use of performance enhancing drugs by Armstrong and his U.S. Postal Service teammates.

]]>http://o.canada.com/sports/lance-armstrong-hit-parked-cars-after-partying-let-girlfriend-take-blame-police/feed0Armstrong-Hit-and-Run-Cycling.jpgtheassociatedpresscanadaHarper Lee to publish second novel, ‘Go Set a Watchman,’ in Julyhttp://o.canada.com/entertainment/books/harper-lee-to-publish-second-novel-go-set-a-watchman-in-july
http://o.canada.com/entertainment/books/harper-lee-to-publish-second-novel-go-set-a-watchman-in-july#commentsTue, 03 Feb 2015 16:26:31 +0000https://postmediacanadadotcom.wordpress.com?p=588136&preview_id=588136]]>NEW YORK — “To Kill a Mockingbird” will not be Harper Lee’s only published book after all.

Publisher Harper announced Tuesday that “Go Set a Watchman,” a novel the Pulitzer Prize-winning author completed in the 1950s and put aside, will be released July 14. Rediscovered last fall, “Go Set a Watchman” is essentially a sequel to “To Kill a Mockingbird,” although it was finished earlier. The 304-page book will be Lee’s second, and the first new work in more than 50 years.

“The existence of ‘Go Set a Watchman’ was unknown until recently, and its discovery is an extraordinary gift,” Harper publisher Jonathan Burnham said in a statement.

“To Kill a Mockingbird” is among the most beloved novels in history, with worldwide sales topping 40 million copies.

After a few months of unusually serene behaviour from the nearly 21-year-old pop star, an image rehabilitation effort seemed to launch in earnest last week.

On the heels of posing for a Calvin Klein underwear campaign and consenting to endure “The Comedy Central Roast of Justin Bieber,” the singer made an uncomfortable appearance on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show,” in which he conceded with humbled posture and tone that he had “done some things that might not have been the greatest.”

He elaborated via a dimly lit smartphone soliloquy later, explaining that for the past year or so he’d come off “arrogant or conceited.” He pledged: “I’m not who I pretended to be.”

The full-court PR press appears to have been carefully co-ordinated, but is it contrived?

“That video, it could have been genuine. It could be somebody who’s looking to turn their thing around. Or it could be somebody who had a really devastating conversation with their lawyer about a pending court case.”

Either way, it seems the majority of the video’s audience was willing to take Bieber at his word.

According to social media data provided to The Canadian Press by analytics firm Brandwatch, Bieber’s confessional video generated 10 times more positive mentions than negative.

In the day following the video, the company found that the hashtag #WeDontJudgeYouJustin generated more than 27,600 tweets and retweets (and nearly 100 million impressions). Overall, 69 per cent of Bieber mentions on Twitter came from women.

“He came across to fans as genuine and sincere, and at least on social media, his fans rallied around him,” said Brandwatch company spokeswoman Dinah Alobeid.

Justin Bieber leaves an event in Paris. Bieber has apologized for his bad behavior in a new video posted to Facebook. The singer says that his arrogant and conceited attitude over the last two years was just to cover up his true feelings. []

One in five active monthly Twitter users follows Bieber, according to numbers supplied by analytics firm Next Big Sound, whose data informs the Billboard Social 50. Bieber’s is the second most-followed account on the social networking platform, just behind Katy Perry. But Next Big Sound’s numbers show his engagement level trumps hers. He averaged roughly 55,000 retweets per tweet in December, for instance. Perry managed around 6,800.

And on Instagram, Bieber’s posts average roughly twice as many likes as Perry’s, Next Big Sound account manager Jay Troop said in a telephone interview.

Even as his public image was deteriorating, Bieber’s audience was growing. Troop’s numbers show Bieber’s engagement levels roughly doubled from December 2012 to December 2014.

“Despite not having quite the same tempo of releases of some of the other artists that share his place right at the top of social media, he’s kind of more influential than ever there — and still growing,” Troop said.

So if Bieber’s core fans remain staunchly loyal, the people he wants to win over, perhaps, are the rest of us.

“The roast and video and everything else on ‘Ellen,’ that was not for fans. That’s for everybody else,” says Weston.

“What he has left is that core fanbase, and when it comes to his music, they’re the people that spend money. (But) nobody else is spending money on Justin Bieber except Justin Bieber superfans.”

These police booking mugs made available by the Miami Dade County Corrections Department show pop star Justin Bieber, who has recently apologized for his behaviour over the last few years. [THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP/Miami Dade County Jail]

Bieber is working furiously on a new album, which he hopes will be out this year, says his musical director, Toronto-based Dan Kanter.

He went all of 2014 without releasing a single, and his last widely heard artistic statement — 2012’s platinum “Believe” — was released only months after his 18th birthday. The record felt more transitional than transformational.

Bieber is in the studio “24/7,” testifies Kanter, and the young singer’s priorities are now straight.

“I know Justin like a brother,” Kanter says. “People forget that Justin is first and foremost a musician. He plays guitar, piano and drums. He’s an absolutely exceptional songwriter.

“Right now, he’s really in the right direction because he’s focusing all his attention on music. There’s nothing he cares about more than making music and sharing that music with his Beliebers.”

Kanter is one of a few seemingly steadying voices in Bieber’s life. If Bieber has seemed like he was heeding no one’s advice, well, the recent apology could be an indication that that’s changed.

“The fault with Justin Bieber has always been two things: one, he has really terrible people around him; and two, Justin Bieber has never looked at adults as anything other than a source of income,” says Weston.

“I’ve never met someone at a young age who had less respect for the adults around them, whether it be managers, producers, whoever it is.

“Even back when he was very young, Justin Bieber has always been the boss. (And) maybe he’s becoming an adult and he’s seeing that his place in the world isn’t where he thought it was.”

]]>http://o.canada.com/entertainment/can-justin-bieber-rehabilitate-his-image-after-his-delinquent-2014/feed0People-Justin BieberthecanadianpressJustin Bieber leaves an event in Paris. Bieber has apologized for his bad behavior in a new video posted to Facebook. The singer says that his arrogant and conceited attitude over the last two years was just to cover up his true feelings.These police booking mugs made available by the Miami Dade County Corrections Department show pop star Justin Bieber, who has recently apologized for his behaviour over the last few years.You and your kids can make beautiful music togetherhttp://o.canada.com/entertainment/music/you-and-your-kids-can-make-beautiful-music-together
http://o.canada.com/entertainment/music/you-and-your-kids-can-make-beautiful-music-together#commentsTue, 03 Feb 2015 12:00:39 +0000http://o.canada.com/?p=585968]]>Millions of North Americans will tune into this weekend’s Grammy Awards to see who’s wearing whom, who’s with whom, and whether or not it really is All About That Bass. Among the viewers will be many parents who promised themselves as teens to never grow up and bemoan the music that “kids listen to these days.”

As father and uncle to two young girls, we admit to feeling a pang of concern when we hear some of the lyrics in today’s pop music. It’s probably a primal parental instinct to wish for a world where Pharrell Williams’ Happy is on permanent repeat.

We know that music has always pushed the boundaries of its era — from Elvis and The Beatles, to Janis Joplin and Nirvana. After all, we grew up on a healthy dose of Guns N’ Roses, and we turned out to be reasonably well-behaved adults with an appreciation for air guitar. We’ve also seen the tremendous effect that music has on young people.

Music brings kids together, lifts their spirits, and inspires even the quietest among them to burst out in self-expression.

Many musicians we’ve met are conscious of their place as role models for young fans. Demi Lovato is open about her struggles with mental illness and speaks out against bullying. Canadian singer-songwriter Nelly Furtado is a global advocate for girls’ education. And hip-hop super-duo Macklemore and Ryan Lewis have told fans “the most fulfilling way to live life” is to be of service to others.

We’ve also found that music is the best way to open up a teen’s ears and start a conversation.

“Music connects people,” says Galina Mindlin, a clinical professor of psychiatry at Columbia University in New York. “For parents, it’s a great entry point to bonding with their children and fostering the connection that they strive to have.”

She strongly advocates that parents get to know and appreciate their kids’ musical tastes, and avoid jumping to judgment. Asking to hear their favourite song du jour and going to concerts together helps break down traditional parent-teen barriers. Sharing the music you loved at their age might help, too — if you can find a working record player (or even a CD player, for that matter.)

Personally, we’re confident that Guns N’ Roses’ Paradise City has stood the test of time.

Parents can also use music as a springboard to broach the issues of adolescence that are otherwise awkward and challenging.

Parents can also use music as a springboard to broach the issues of adolescence that are otherwise awkward and challenging. At this year’s Grammy Awards, for instance, Meghan Trainor’s All About That Bass can stir up a conversation about body image, and Taylor Swift’s Shake It Off is a great segue into resilience against bullying. These are the discussions that will help your kids fine-tune the critical thinking skills necessary to make their own informed opinions about media and peer pressure.

To amplify the positive influence of your kids’ love for music, encourage them to create it. New research suggests that kids who play musical instruments have better control over their emotions, less anxiety and stronger focus in school. Finding something they’re good at and enjoy—especially in a peer group like a choir or band—is a key way to build confidence and resilience to social pressures. And who knows? Maybe it’ll be them up on the Grammy stage in a few years’ time

The highlights of watching this weekend’s Grammy festivities need not be limited to explaining the cultural importance of AC/DC to the Beyoncé generation, or seeing if best-record nominee Sam Smith will sing Stay With Me with Tom Petty. If parents open their minds to the music their kids go gaga over, the best part may be a lasting bond.

Brothers Craig and Marc Kielburger founded a platform for social change that includes the international charity Free The Children, the social enterprise Me to We and the youth empowerment movement We Day.

]]>http://o.canada.com/entertainment/music/you-and-your-kids-can-make-beautiful-music-together/feed0Taylor SwiftcraigkielburgerPharrell WilliamsA bonus of watching music awards shows with your kids is seeing who's wearing what.Brazilian beauty pageant runner-up snatches crown off winner during coronationhttp://o.canada.com/entertainment/brazilian-beauty-pageant-runner-up-snatches-crown-off-winner-during-coronation
http://o.canada.com/entertainment/brazilian-beauty-pageant-runner-up-snatches-crown-off-winner-during-coronation#commentsSun, 01 Feb 2015 19:52:45 +0000https://postmediacanadadotcom.wordpress.com?p=587258&preview_id=587258]]>RIO DE JANEIRO — A Brazilian beauty pageant took a bizarre turn when the first runner-up snatched the crown off the winner of the Miss Amazonas contest, refusing to accept her loss.

Sheislane (shays-lah-nee) Hayalla is justifying her reaction by claiming her rival, Carol Toledo, bought the title. Pageant organizers could not be reached for comment.

“I wanted to express my disapproval of the actions shown in preparation of Miss Amazonas 2015. I don’t regret having protested,” she wrote in a message posted on her Facebook page Saturday night. “I wanted something clean and honest.”

At the crowning ceremony late Friday, Hayalla initially hugged her opponent as the winner’s name was announced. Seconds later, as a woman adjusted the crown onto Toledo’s hair, Hayalla stepped forward to snatch the tiara violently from her head and throw it onto the stage before storming away while the crowd applauded. She did not respond to a request for comment.

Images from the crowning moment quickly spread on social media sites. Internet users created memes showing Hayalla taking the crown from Queen Elizabeth II, and Kanye West taking the microphone from Taylor Swift during the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards with the caption, “Let go! This belongs to Sheislane.”

The winner of Miss Amazonas represents the jungle state in the national Miss Brazil contest. It was unclear whether Hayalla would keep her status as Miss Amazonas first runner-up.

“I apologize if anyone didn’t like my attitude, but I really did what my heart told me to,” Hayalla said in a video after the contest.

Hayalla represented Brazil in last year’s Miss Globe International pageant, held in Baku, Azerbaijan, where she also was named first runner-up.

Katy Perry’s Super Bowl halftime show Sunday, with its eye-popping, stunning and colorful visual effects, illusions and lights was a success mainly because of others — including the energetic Missy Elliott — and high-tech effects.

Did Perry even break a sweat?

The pop star kicked off the performance atop a robotic tiger, her outfit covered in a flame design. She seemed confident and ready to take the big stage, her voice strong over what sounded like a pre-recorded track.

The stage turned to a futuristic vibe for the Southern, electro-flavoured “Dark Horse” and into a beach for “Teenage Dream” and “California Gurls.” Now in a colorful dress surrounded by people in beach ball, shark, surfboard and palm tree costumes, blue lighting surrounded the base of the stage appearing as water. It came off like a music video.

Perry relied too much on the spectacle rather than her own talent. That was evident when Lenny Kravitz joined her for a rock-filled version of “I Kissed a Girl,” where he was the highlight, shining on the guitar.

The 12-minute performance even turned into “The Missy Elliott Show” when the reclusive rapper hit the stage as the beginning beat of “Get Ur Freak On” blasted. A decade later, the song still sounded like a hit as Elliott rapped like a veteran.

Perry joined Elliott, attempting to dance beside her but came off like a student lost in choreography class. She nicely rocked an oversize jersey, but had zero swag. Elliott went on to the steal the thunder with performances of “Work It” and “Lose Control.”

Perry ended her set in a shimmery gown, as she rose in the air and slowed it down for the inspirational “Firework” as, appropriately, fireworks burst.

That wasn’t the only fiery moment: Before the game began, “Frozen” star Idina Menzel belted out an outstanding live rendition of the national anthem ahead of the big game in Phoenix.

Menzel was confident in all-black, singing what she assured would be live days before Super Bowl. After she sang the last note, she yelled in excitement: “Yes!”

“I didn’t want to rush,” Menzel said in an interview after the performance. “I wanted to take in the moment and connect to the song that I was singing, not get swept away by all the grandiosity and excitement, and connect. And sing from my heart.”

The performance comes a month after the Tony-winning star was criticized for her performance of “Let It Go” during “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve.” At one point the crowd booed loudly, but it was because Patriots Coach Bill Belichick was shown on screen.

Asked if the booing was a distraction, Menzel said: “I knew better. I knew I hit the note well, I wasn’t worried it was me.”

“And they warn you,” she added, laughing.

John Legend, in typical form, brought the soul when he sang “America the Beautiful.” He hit all the right notes while playing piano before the Seattle Seahawks take on the New England Patriots.

Kravitz said he was grateful for Perry’s call to join her onstage.

“This wasn’t my thing. She asked me to come and perform with her and I said, ‘Yes’ and it ended up being a really great experience,” he said in an interview.

The superstar shared a picture of a bulging belly — presumably belonging to wife Jessica Biel — on Instagram on Saturday, his 34th birthday. He wrote that he was getting the greatest gift ever this year and added: “CAN’T WAIT.”

The sex of the baby is not yet known; the actor-singer joked that the couple is taking bets.

The Grammy-winning Timberlake married Biel in 2012. It will be the first child for both. Biel’s pregnancy has been rumoured for weeks but Timberlake’s post is the first official confirmation.

]]>http://o.canada.com/entertainment/justin-timberlake-celebrates-34th-birthday-with-confirmation-of-baby-news/feed0People-Justin-Timberlake.jpgtheassociatedpresscanadaRoots of Groundhog Day cast a shadow back to medieval Europehttp://o.canada.com/news/roots-of-groundhog-day-cast-a-shadow-back-to-medieval-europe
http://o.canada.com/news/roots-of-groundhog-day-cast-a-shadow-back-to-medieval-europe#commentsSun, 01 Feb 2015 20:07:27 +0000https://postmediacanadadotcom.wordpress.com?p=587268&preview_id=587268]]>What do a European Christian tradition, a 19th century American immigration pattern, and a cinema cult classic have in common? They’ve all helped turn groundhogs into North America’s most popular weather prognosticators.

Each Feb. 2, crowds gather to watch Ontario’s Wiarton Willie, Pennsylvania’s Punxsutawney Phil and other furry forecasters take a shot at a task that baffles many humans.

Folklore has it that if a groundhog sees his shadow he’ll flee back to his burrow, heralding six more weeks of winter. If he doesn’t, legend has it that spring is around the corner.

The roots of this light-hearted tradition span both oceans and centuries.

Chris Scott, chief meteorologist at the Weather Network, said Groundhog Day hearkens back to medieval Europe and the Christian festival of Candlemas.

Participants would light candles to brighten a dreary time and watch weather conditions on festival day for portents of what lay ahead, he said.

One Scottish couplet succinctly summed up the superstitions of the time: “If Candlemas Day is bright and clear, There’ll be two winters in the year.”

The old proverb had a basis in fact, Scott said, since European weather patterns were markedly different from the ones prevailing in North America today.

“You can get winters that essentially end in early February,” Scott said in a telephone interview. “There was more of a realistic scenario of, ‘Oh, what’s it going to be? Are we going to see winter persisting for six more weeks or is this actually the end?”‘

Scott said early Europeans eventually threw a prognosticating hedgehog into the mix, adding the animals had hibernation patterns that naturally brought them out of hiding around the time of Candlemas.

When German settlers began immigrating to the U.S. in the 19th century, they adapted Candlemas traditions to their new home with one simple innovation — letting the area’s native groundhogs do the forecasting.

Shubenacadie Sam failed to see his shadow after emerging from his burrow at the wildlife park in Shubenacadie, N.S. [ THE CANADIAN PRESS/Andrew Vaughan]

Punxsutawney, Pa., has emerged as the hub of American Groundhog Day festivities. Bob Roberts, protector of the present-day Punxsutawney Phil, said the first official Groundhog Day excursion in the area took place in 1888.

Canada’s marquee Groundhog Day event first took place in 1956 when Mac McKenzie, a resident of the central Ontario town of Wiarton, was looking for a pretext to throw a party.

After settling on Groundhog Day, he sent out his invitations in the form of mock press releases. When one of them fell into the hands of a genuine reporter, however, McKenzie had to get creative.

“(The reporter) had to have a story,” McKenzie explained in documents provided by local festival organizers. “He couldn’t go back to Toronto without something. So we tossed a fur hat with a button on it into the snow. We said it was a groundhog, and the photo ran in the (Toronto) Star.”

Wiarton has been home to Canada’s premiere Groundhog Day event ever since, including in 1999 when organizers discovered Willie had died in the run up to his big day.

Meteorological marmots gained a wave of positive attention after the 1993 comedy film “Groundhog Day” was released.

So how do human forecasters feel about Groundhog Day?

“I’ve never met a meteorologist who is anti-groundhog,” said Scott. “. . . We don’t feel too threatened.”

Michelle McQuigge

]]>http://o.canada.com/news/roots-of-groundhog-day-cast-a-shadow-back-to-medieval-europe/feed1*** BESTPIX *** Punxsutawney Phil Makes Annual Forecast On Groundhog DaythecanadianpressGroundhog Club co-handlers John Griffiths, right, and Ron Ploucha carry Punxsutawney Phil, the weather prognosticating groundhog, on his rounds through downtown Punxsutawney, Pa.Shubenacadie Sam failed to see his shadow after emerging from his burrow at the wildlife park in Shubenacadie, N.S.History behind The Imitation Game includes Canadian connectionhttp://o.canada.com/entertainment/history-behind-the-imitation-game-includes-canadian-connection
http://o.canada.com/entertainment/history-behind-the-imitation-game-includes-canadian-connection#commentsSun, 01 Feb 2015 18:22:25 +0000https://postmediacanadadotcom.wordpress.com?p=587238&preview_id=587238]]>Helen Leadbetter knew she didn’t want to be a secretary.

As a young woman in small town Galt, Ont., in 1942, she wasn’t sure exactly what to do with her life. But she was determined to not take on the typical desk jobs many women her age were tasked with.

So when she saw a brochure for a mysterious “wireless telegraphist special operator” position, she immediately signed up.

She and her dozens of mostly female colleagues were “as green as grass” and “had no idea what was going on” when they first landed the gig, recalls the 92-year-old: “We were a bunch of naive kids.”

Turned out they were recruited for a top-secret chain of wireless intercept stations that listened in to the enemy’s radio messages during the Second World War.

Best picture Oscar nominee The Imitation Game shines a light on those wartime workers as it tells the true-life story of Alan Turing (Benedict Cumberbatch), who cracked Nazi Germany’s Enigma code.

The film, which is also up for five other Oscars, showcases the efforts at England’s Bletchley Park, where teams deciphered and translated the enemy’s Morse code messages that had been sent to them from overseas operators –operators like Leadbetter.

“While Bletchley Park was certainly the headquarters of the U.K.’s codebreaking efforts, the work of wireless operators from Canada was just as vital.”

She notes that while Bletchley Park was certainly the headquarters of the U.K.’s codebreaking efforts, the work of wireless operators from Canada was just as vital.

“All you hear about is Bletchley Park, which did a fantastic job, by the way. They really did,” says Leadbetter from her home in Cambridge, Ont. “But they had to have a source in order to do their job.

“We were the source.”

Thanks to efforts by Elevation Pictures, which is distributing The Imitation Game in Canada, Leadbetter was recently granted permission from the Department of National Defence and the Women’s Royal Canadian Naval Service to finally talk about her experiences. She was also recently awarded a commemorative badge from Bletchley Park for her services.

Her basic training centre was conveniently located in her hometown. After studies there, she and a selected group got Morse code training at the Guild of All Arts in the Toronto suburb of Scarborough.

They then moved on to a more permanent station in the countryside just outside of Ottawa.

No trains or buses travelled through the area and Leadbetter wasn’t allowed to tell anyone where she was or what she was doing.

“Nobody knew we were there, supposedly,” she says. “We weren’t allowed to have the naval ensign flying over our head because we were under security regulations, and really, not even the farmers were enthusiastic to know what we were doing.

“We were kind of lost to the human race.”

Leadbetter and her colleagues all started off as “Y” operators, picking up German submarines’ frequencies and copying their Morse code messages or “traffic,” which were then sent to decoders overseas.

“When you saw somebody screaming into the microphone, ’86, 25!’ or whatever, everybody kept quiet,” she says. “So you’d just sit there: ‘I wonder who it is, I wonder what it is.”‘

She and eight others were then promoted to “Z” operators, and were shipped overseas to an English town.

Leadbetter, who is now legally blind, can still recall the striking sight of the bombers overhead there.

“All the streamers of vapour from the planes and their motors, they left trails all over the place,” she says. “Strangely as it seems, it’s one of the most beautiful sights I’ve ever seen in my life,” she says.

“But then you have to remember that beautiful sight was going to turn into a very terrible act when they got over their bomber stations.”

ATLANTA — The daughter of late singer and entertainer Whitney Houston was found unresponsive in a bathtub Saturday and taken to a hospital in the north Atlanta suburbs, police said.

Bobbi Kristina Brown was found by her husband, Nick Gordon, and a friend and given CPR, said Officer Lisa Holland, a spokeswoman for the Roswell Police Department. When police arrived, they gave Brown additional care until she was taken alive to North Fulton Hospital.

A hospital spokeswoman did not return repeated messages seeking comment on Brown’s condition.

The incident remains under investigation, police said.

Brown, 21, is the only child of Houston and R&B singer Bobby Brown. A representative for the family did not immediately return messages seeking comment.

Roswell Police officers stand guard while blocking the street to the home of Bobbi Kristina Brown, daughter of Whitney Houston, during an investigation. [(AP Photo/John Amis)]

Whitney Houston was found dead in a hotel bathtub on Feb. 11, 2012, in Beverly Hills, California. The 48-year-old Houston had struggled for years with cocaine, marijuana and pills, and her behaviour had become erratic.

Authorities examining Houston’s death found a dozen prescription drug bottles in the hotel suite. They concluded that Houston accidentally drowned. Heart disease and cocaine use were listed as contributing factors in Houston’s death.

Over her career, Houston sold more than 50 million records in the United States alone. Her voice, an ideal blend of power, grace and beauty, made classics out of songs like “Saving All My Love For You,” “I Will Always Love You,” “The Greatest Love of All” and “I’m Every Woman.” Her six Grammys were only a fraction of her many awards.

Houston had her first No. 1 hit by the time she was 22, followed by a flurry of No. 1 songs and multiplatinum records.

PHOENIX — Missy Elliott is going to “Work It” at the Super Bowl with Katy Perry.

A person familiar with the plans for Sunday’s halftime show told The Associated Press on Thursday that Grammy winner Elliott is slated to make a surprise appearance during Perry’s performance.

The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because Elliott’s participation had not been announced by the NFL.

Elliott was featured on a remix of Perry’s song “Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)” in 2011.

During a news conference Thursday, Perry hinted at Elliott’s involvement in the Super Bowl act, which also will feature Lenny Kravitz.

Perry said the halftime show will include an “old school” female singer — but did not say who that would be.

“When you hear the first ring of the chord,” Perry promised, “I think jaws will drop and faces will melt.”

Elliott is a multiplatinum rapper, singer and producer whose Grammy Awards from the early 2000s include Best Rap Solo Performance for “Get Ur Freak On,” and Best Female Rap Solo Performance for “Work It” and “Scream a.k.a. Itchin’.”

Other Super Bowl halftime shows have included unannounced performances, including by singer Usher and former Guns ‘N Roses guitarist Slash in 2011.

LOS ANGELES — As Marion “Suge” Knight sat jailed on suspicion of murder, duelling narratives cast him as attacker and victim in the hip-hop music mogul’s latest and most serious run-in with the law.

Sheriff’s deputies said he hit and killed a man with his pickup truck, injured another and then fled. His lawyer said he was an innocent victim who accidentally ran over his friend and the other man as he tried to escape an attack.

He turned himself in and was booked on Friday.

The incident was the latest in a long line of brushes with death and the law for the 49-year-old founder of Death Row Records, one of the genre’s leading labels.

Knight started the label that helped solidify West Coast rap with Dr. Dre, who had been a member of the legendary group N.W.A. The label also launched the career of Snoop Dogg and had Tupac Shakur in the last months of his life.

The fatal incident occurred a short while after Knight was told by deputies to leave a film location where he had argued with someone, authorities said.

The cast and crew were taking a break from filming a promotional video for the biopic “Straight Outta Compton,” about the rise of N.W.A., according to a person familiar with the project who was not authorized to speak about it publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity.

The argument resumed and escalated a short while later at a fast-food restaurant about two miles away, with Knight and the man exchanging punches through his open window. Knight then struck the man and a friend with his vehicle and fled, said sheriff’s Lt. John Corina.

Terry Carter, 55, Knight’s friend who authorities do not believe was involved in the altercation, died at a hospital, Corina said. The other man was identified by his manager as Cle “Bone” Sloan, 51, an actor and film consultant. He was hospitalized in stable condition, said manager Jermaine Shelton.

Corina said Knight backed up his pickup truck and knocked Sloan down.

“Then he puts the truck in drive, drives forward, running over him, and then keeps going forward and keeps on driving, and runs over Carter, who is standing in the parking lot, and keeps on going after that,” Corina said.

He said witnesses told investigators it looked like an intentional act.

Defence attorney James Blatt said Knight was called to Tam’s Burgers in Compton for a meeting and was attacked by four people, including Sloan, as he slowed his truck. The men beat him through his window and threatened to kill him.

Corina said evidence thus far disputed Blatt’s account, saying only one man exchanged blows with Knight through the window before he got run over.

The incident comes less than six months after Knight was shot six times at a West Hollywood nightclub in August — the second shooting he’s survived. No arrests have been made.

Knight punched the gas and fled in fear, Blatt said. He had no idea he hit two men. Corina said that claim is hard to believe.

Knight surrendered early Friday and was booked on suspicion of murder. He was being held on $2 million bail.

At 6-foot-4 and weighing 325 pounds, Knight’s reputation as an imposing figure is credited, in part, with helping create Death Row Records when he strong-armed another label to release Dr. Dre from his contract, said Chuck Creekmur, CEO of allhiphop.com.

“You can’t separate Suge from the music that came out of Death Row Records,” Creekmur said. “He’s linked forever to a really, really great musical period of time. And that would be linked to a really horrific period when we lost several of our brightest stars.”

Knight was at the centre of one of the most notorious rap conflicts of the 1990s, pitting rappers Tupac Shakur against Biggie Smalls in an East Coast versus West Coast rivalry.

Knight was sent to prison for nearly five years for badly beating a rival with Shakur at a Las Vegas hotel, just hours before Shakur was fatally shot while riding in Knight’s car just east of the Strip.

Smalls, whose real name was Chris Wallace, was shot to death in a similar attack six months later.

Knight and Dre later had a falling out and Dre left. The record company eventually declared bankruptcy and was auctioned off.

Dr. Dre and Ice Cube, another former N.W.A. member, were at the film location Thursday, but they didn’t see Knight, according to the person who spoke on condition of anonymity. Filming was shut down for the day and not resumed Friday.

The history of Knight’s run-ins with the law goes back more than 20 years.

In November, Knight pleaded not guilty to a robbery charge filed over an incident in which a celebrity photographer accused him of stealing her camera in Beverly Hills. Because of prior convictions, he could face up to 30 years in prison.

]]>http://o.canada.com/news/duelling-narratives-surround-hip-hop-music-mogul-suge-knight-in-deadly-run-in-with-law/feed3Suge-Knight-Deadly-Accident.jpgtheassociatedpresscanadaOscar-nominated Cumberbatch calls for UK to pardon gay men convicted of gross indecencyhttp://o.canada.com/news/oscar-nominated-cumberbatch-calls-for-uk-to-pardon-gay-men-convicted-of-gross-indecency
http://o.canada.com/news/oscar-nominated-cumberbatch-calls-for-uk-to-pardon-gay-men-convicted-of-gross-indecency#commentsSat, 31 Jan 2015 14:36:14 +0000https://postmediacanadadotcom.wordpress.com?p=586886&preview_id=586886]]>LONDON — Oscar-nominated actor Benedict Cumberbatch has joined others in calling for the British government to pardon gay and bisexual men convicted in the past under the defunct “gross indecency” law.

Their letter published Saturday in the Guardian praises the government for the 2013 pardon of World War II code breaker Alan Turing, whom Cumberbatch portrays in the movie “The Imitation Game.”

But it says the 49,000 other men convicted under the same law also deserve pardons.